Unstable
by malciah
Summary: Mutants are out and that spells trouble for Nick Fury, agent of SHIELD who has been ordered to stay out of Bayville. But he has other plans, first is the rescue of the captured Xmen and Brotherhood and second is the long term protection of the kids.
1. Breakout

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of X-men: Evolution.

**Story Summary: **(Begins in the first episode of Season 3) Mutants are out and that spells trouble for Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who has been ordered to stay out of Bayville. But he has other plans, first is the rescue of the captured X-men and brotherhood and second is the long term protection of the kids and Fury can't think of a better candidate than a young mutant called Gabriel McKinner, who is currently incarcerated in Belleview for paranoid schizophrenia.

**Authors Note:** This fic is mainly centred on Gabriel, it won't be _completely_ about him but, well, I'm just warning you now.

**Unstable**

** Breakout**

'_How's he been doing doctor?'_ Gabriel curled up on the flat padding of his cot mattress and wondered just how he _was_ doing; he wasn't injured in any physical way, the bruises had gone the first week in the infirmary, it took longer for the broken bones to heal though.

_'He's just out of solitary colonel, he's doing fine.'_ Yeah, Gabe was doing fine all he did was talk to a fellow patient and he was thrown through the goddamned wall_ fine, pah!_

_'What was he doing in solitary?'_ Gabe realised that the voices he was hearing weren't in his head but outside in the corridor that connected to his room.

_'He incited a riot among the populace'_ _I asked a simple question!_ He answered angrily in his thoughts

_'How did he do that?'_ The first voice sounded familiar, the second was one he had heard recently, that much he was sure of.

_'He triggered a psychotic break in the other mutant we housed here.'_ Mutant? He _was_ a mutant, wasn't he? Gabe was unsure on that point, memories of green liquid and human sized bathing tubes pushed their way into his head.

_'Wanda Maximoff?'_ Wanda! The name reverberated in Gabe's head, he had been put in here to watch her and to make sure her father never came back for her. But worse things happened to her and Gabe's rage and protective urges had kicked in and he had attempted to stop them, sometimes he succeeded and he was put in solitary for attacking the wardens, sorry _aides,_ and others he would spend weeks in the infirmary, letting the sick cold dread and anger simmer and store till he was well. Once he was beaten so bad for stopping an attack that he couldn't speak for a month; they never found the doctor responsible again.

_'The one and the same, we got hell from the state when she escaped three weeks ago.'_ Wanda was gone? And for three weeks? Then what the hell was he still doing here?

Wait, A colonel was coming to see him, maybe he was getting out. Some one knocked on his door, the loud metallic booming of each bang echoed around the room. The door was forced open with a deafening creak and in stepped the doctor who oversaw his treatment, a big muscle bound aide who kept a close eye on him and…and…

Gabe got up out of the cot and faced the newcomer. He didn't salute but he did stand at attention. The colonel didn't look away from Gabe but talked to the other two.

"We want some privacy." Neither the doctor nor aide moved. "Leave." The edge in the colonels voice made them go. Gabriel stayed at attention and listened to the fading footfalls of the doctor. The colonel looked him up and down with his good eye. "Which one am I talkin' to?" he asked, Gabe's brow creased in confusion. "Never mind, I got my answer. Now, do you know who I am?" Gabe nodded.

"Colonel Nicholas Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. my boss." Fury nodded.

"At least they left you with most of your faculties. Fury looked momentarily at the door then back to Gabe. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that Wanda's gone and my mission's been scrubbed, when do we leave?" Fury's face fell, just slightly, but it was enough to worry Gabriel "We _are_ leaving aren't we?" Fury said nothing "Aren't we?" he asked again, forcefully.

"Due to your constant assaults on the asylum staff, the doctors have felt you should be permanently incarcerated here in the CI wing." CI stood for Criminally Insane, the doctors used it as a warning against bad behaviour, Gabe had always thought that it was nothing but a threat; maybe he was a special case. "Of course that won't help me in the current situation I have found my self in." He continued, "The world has found out about mutantkind Gabriel, and the U.S. government has issued all mutants to be found and captured, it's a knee jerk reaction to a world they have found themselves in." Gabe kept silent. "And caught in the crossfire are professor Charles Xavier-" Gabe pricked up at the name "-and his X-men." Fury noted Gabe's reaction. "You remember them." Gabe nodded.

"Xavier was a friend of my fathers, I met him at a function where he talked of his school, I said some things I'm not proud of." Gabe shrugged "Rest's history." He remarked. Fury nodded again.

"Xavier's missing and his X-men are being hunted by the police and National Guard, some of them have been captured and taken to the Nevada military base." Gabe smirked.

"Area 51? They're that scared?"

"Yes, and what's more the colonel in charge is as psychotic as he is paranoid, this mutant thing will be something he's been waiting for. It'll play on his fears and delusions, he'll jump to conclusions and probably declare war, not good." Gabe had to agree.

"What started this, how did mutants come out?"

"A giant robot attacked the downtown Bayville area, or more specifically the X-men and they're counter-parts, the Brotherhood." Gabe scoffed.

"The Brotherhood was reinstated?" Fury nodded "I feel sorry for the new members."

"Good, because one of theirs was taken and you'll be retrieving him as well." Fury turned and banged on the door. "Municipal Parking Garage, two clicks west of here. You have two hours." The door opened and framed Fury; he walked out and then turned back to his agent. "Remember, all bets are off." Then he left without another word. Gabriel kept his face passive until the door closed again when he smiled, his first since he got rid off that doctor, Fury had given him the go ahead to escape, by any means necessary.

Gabe jumped up to his small window, twelve foot up from the floor and called out. "Morigan!" a quiet cawing answered him. "It's time to leave, do what I told you, just like we practiced." An extension of the Gargoyle above Gabe's window took flight and revealed itself to be a big black bird, who winged her way around the corner of the building and out of sight. Gabe dropped down to the floor and faced the door and counted the time off in his head.

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Morigan hovered on a thermal for a second to find her target before swooping down on the generators around the back of the asylum. She perched on top for the breaker box and used her beak to push down on the handle; it was too rusty to move, so Morigan was going to have to be creative.

She took flight once more and saw what she needed, she swooped down, grabbed a gas canister by the back of the kitchens that opened out into the same area and hitting one of the aides in the back of the head as she flapped back up into the sky and dropped the canister. It ruptured on something sharp and ignited, the generator blew spectacularly and Morigan, happy with her work, flew back to her perch on top of a gargoyle and waited.

---------------------------------------------

The fire alarm rang out from somewhere outside followed by screams of surprise and pain, Morigan in full swing. Then the siren rang out, warning of a power outage, when the siren went all the electric doors were automatically shut off for an easy escape, most of the wards had been refitted with back up generators but Gabe's wing hadn't and as far as he knew he was now the only resident. His door clicked and buzzed. On cue the aide came in to stop him from leaving, Gabe jumped up and stuck to the wall, the warden walked directly underneath him and looked around, then hesitantly looked up, Gabe dropped on him and gave him the full force of his knee as it connected to his collarbone. The warden staggered from the blow as Gabe landed on the floor, he kicked out and forced his opponents knee at an angle it shouldn't bend then got up and wrapped his right arm around the warden's neck and put his left hand on the back of his head, he pushed hard, wrenching his neck with a sickening gristle-like sound. Gabe knew Fury would be angry as soon as he found out and claim he meant for Gabriel to only stun his captors, but for Gabriel, when all bets were off, _all_ bets were off. Still, it would be his only kill for the day.

Gabe stepped out into the corridor and immediately felt a chill, he was only wearing a light cloth pyjama set and it wasn't really designed for warmth. Gabriel ran down the corridor regardless, taking the first left and up the stairs towards the roof, two aides waited for him at the top of the stairs, tonfa batons at the ready, Gabe leapt up over them and onto one of the warden's back and kicked off again, pushing him down the stairs, landing and turning with the momentum and elbowing the other in the stomach, he left the warden vomiting on the floor and pushed the latch to the roof and exited out into the night. He paused by the door to get his bearings, he could see Manhattan in the dusk light he needed to head roughly in that direction then divert right after five minutes of building hopping and continue for a further ten minutes, his course set he walked to the edge of the roof top and looked down, he was quiet high up, luckily he didn't fear heights, shouts behind him alerted him to his current predicament. He turned around to see four or five wardens coming up the stairs behind him.

"Step away from the ledge Mr Haley, it doesn't have to end this way." One of them said, Gabe turned around and crouched down, closing his eyes in concentration. He heard and felt the wardens' approach, waiting for them to get within arms length to activate his power and leapt up and back flipped over the street and onto the opposite roof. He opened his eyes and saw that the Wardens' had been pushed back a few feet by the overpressure caused by his gravity shifting abilities. Gabe paused once more and breathed in his first breath of free air. Psychically calling Morigan to him, he started to jump from building to building, getting ever closer to his objective, it had only been forty-five minutes since Fury had left his cell; Gabe was getting rusty.

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Fury Leaned against the Lincoln town car he had borrowed from the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. office, along with two of its agents: Carter and Woo. Fury looked at his watch, a full hour had passed when he heard someone thump down onto the roof of the car, he noted that both of his agents had un-holstered their side-arms.

"You're getting slow Shift." Gabriel dropped onto the tarmac of the car-park.

"I'm out of practice Fury, I'll be back on form soon enough" Gabe threw a quick salute, not necessary but a habit Gabe had picked up. "Who are the suits and why are they pointing weapons at me?" Gabe asked, looking over at the red-headed Carter and black-haired Woo.

"Don't worry about them." He said, motioning for them to lower their weapons, which they did. "They're just here to look after me." Fury motioned to Carter, she obediently opened the rear door for her superior, Woo opened the other rear door for Gabriel, who walked around the car and got in, pushing a plastic bag with some kind of logo emblazoned on it out of his way. Fury picked the bag up and handed it to Gabe once everyone was in and the car was in motion. "We got you some sweats, they'll do you until we can get you to Bayville, we'll kit you out there." Gabriel nodded his thanks and clumsily put the sweats over his asylum clothes, he watched as they passed Belle View, the place was in an uproar. "How many?" Fury asked once they had hit the highway.

"One, but he deserved it." Gabe answered simply, not wanting to go into detail.

"How?"

"Broken collar-bone, disjointed knee joint and broken neck column, relatively quick and painless." Fury couldn't help himself.

"Relative to what?" Gabe's face fell.

"Relative to what he did to me." He said quietly. Woo and Carter had the sense to stay quiet themselves and automatically forget all they heard. Fury made a small noise in the back of his throat before speaking.

"I suppose you're wanting an apology for putting you in there?"

"Not unless you want me to put your face through the window." Fury made the throat noise again. Carter turned around in the passenger seat.

"We'll be in Bayville in a couple of hours." Fury said nothing; Gabriel nodded and shifted in his seat and closed his eyes, for some reason that hour of exertion had taken everything out of him. He was asleep in seconds.


	2. Thrown

**Authors notes: As an apology for the wait I'm putting the next two chapters out at once, enjoy **

**Unstable**

**Chapter-1**

**Thrown **

Gabriel felt the chill course through him as he walked down the corridor; the walls were wet and covered in slime that felt just as cold as the air whenever he fell into the wall, which was frequently. He found it hard just to stand up straight, as if the floor kept moving.

A groan from behind him made him flinch and turn around, he gasped, an shadow floated in front of him, the only feature visible were the spectre's eyes; they were a deep ruby-red.

'Callousness measures my influence.' The shadow said, Gabriel frowned, he didn't understand. 'Death feeds my power.' Gabriel stepped back away from the figure but it moved close 'Battle sharpens my mind.' Gabriel turned and ran, knocking into the walls as the passage twisted and turned. It opened out onto a cliff; Gabriel didn't have a chance to stop and went right over the edge.

The ground rushed up to meet him.

Gabe opened his eyes, wincing as he became accustomed to the harsh glare of the neon lighting that was rife in government offices all across the globe. He felt the tremor in his heart subside as the stress from the dream faded away.

"Mr McKinner?" a bespectacled suit tentatively asked him, Gabe looked up at him "we have you're things ready in the equipment lab, would you follow me please?" Gabe hauled himself up off the stone-hard chair he had dozed off in and followed the agent to the elevator. The agent pressed the button marked B1 and waited for the doors to close before speaking. "My name is Agent Lyle Barker, I'm the head of the technology labs here in the Bayville office." He held out his hand and Gabe shook it.

"You actually have a whole technology lab here in Bayville? Why?" he asked, "I mean, yeah, New York would understandably have one, maybe even Rochester and Southampton but Bayville? Why?" he asked again. Agent Barker smiled.

Actually it's to do with you." He answered "Or more specifically your kind, mutants." Gabe sensed the wonder in Lyle's voice when he said the word mutant. It was becoming obvious to Gabriel that maybe Fury kept his operation in cells, Lyle wasn't in possession of all the facts.

"So my stuff's ready?" Lyle nodded and handed him the folder he had been holding, in it was the list of equipment that they had handed over to him.

"I tell you, that is one weird shopping list, the most difficult we've had to put together." The agent commented, "Does Fury really think you'll need all that?" Gabe shrugged.

"I don't know, but it can't hurt." He answered looking over the list, he whistled, there was enough to wage a small war.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened out into a giant area that screamed basement, or would have to Gabriel if it weren't for the banks of supercomputers and tons of equipment attached to wire partitions and metal shelves. The sub-basement was large, larger than the building Gabe had entered four hours ago. Walking into the area made him wonder what little projects Fury had going on in the surrounding buildings.

"Not much, a genetics lab, forensics and our staff quarters." Lyle interjected.

"Roomy." Gabe remarked. "Wait, what? How the hell did you know what I was thinking?" he asked.

"Almost every single person who walks in here thinks that, this is the basement of a whole block. It took us some time and a heck of a lot of dough to buy it up, along with staffing the fronts we have in place." He explained, Gabe whistled his amazement.

"Y'all run this thing like a modern day mafia." He joked; Lyle chuckled politely.

"Not quite." The agent pointed towards the nearest booth and then the two next to it. "You can get your uniform from that booth then your gear from the next and your weapons from the one on the far end, I'll wait by the stairs for you." Gabriel entered the first booth, the light dimmed significantly from the abundance of clothing covering the booth. Gabe nodded to the guy behind the fold down table, he smiled.

"Step on in Agent McKinner, have we got a uniform for you." Gabe looked down at the table and the clothing on it, and smiled. It was eight o'clock in the morning and already Gabe's day was looking up.

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Fury had set up a small task force in record time and got them together in subbasement 3, the car lot. Where, once Gabe had finished being prepped, they would make their way to the X-men's position. The task force, including Carter and Woo, who had been allowed to tag along, were decked out in full assault gear, cradling their weapons in readiness. A harsh cawing from above the SHIELD agent made him cringe and grimace in annoyance, it was beginning to get on his nerves.

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Gabe looked at himself in the mirror once he had changed, it was the first time he had actually looked at himself in two years and he decided to see if anything had changed, He was short with a slight build, his face had a pale complexion that was off set with his pitch black eyes, there was a scar that ran in a loose curve from hi left temple to his upper lip, bisected at his eyebrow and nose.

His uniform was one he was already used to, it was a dark blue version of his old sneak suit when he was with the Outfit; a neck to ankle one piece made of an elastic material whose name Gabriel couldn't pronounce, it was tight enough that Gabriel had full motion in his limbs but loose enough to help him loose definition in the shadows, over it was a leather harness for all his portable equipment: a gun holster on his belt with places for extra mags, two straps -one across his shoulder blades and one on his belt- for a sword and scabbard, pockets for throwing knifes, for bugs of all shapes, sizes and uses and then finished off with a pair of black leather gloves and S.H.I.E.L.D. standard spook eyes headgear, a complete head covering piece of equipment. All in all Gabe felt like he was getting equipped for war, and in a guilty way he felt better now than he had in ages.

He put on an ankle long black leather coat to hide his accoutrements and made his way through to the equipment booth, his favourite part. A cursory glance at the trestle table in front of him told him this was the bug booth. The minder looked up and smiled.

"You'd be the limey." He said matter of factly. Gabe gave him a cold hard stare.

"Just show me my gear will you?" Gabe said finally. The tech nodded and pulled out a heavy nylon roll, a PDA, USB cable, laptop, watch, a Spook hood equipped with a detachable radio and NV gear, binoculars and three boxes with spy bugs inside. The tech pointed at the various miniature spying devices.

"These three on the left are basic window adhesive bugs, stick 'em on a plane of glass and the sound will be easily picked up. These two are tracker bugs with clamp-on pincers, they're designed for vehicles or heavily armoured persons." He pointed to a small box, the last in the line. "And these beauties are autonomous hacking bugs, they take their orders from any basic computer or laptop through a standard 2.0 USB cable and will head off on their own to complete whatever you need them to do; unlock safes, remotely hack computers, you name it." Gabe looked in the box, there were three separate hacking 'droids; two shaped like cockroaches and one shaped like a moth or butterfly, it was hard to tell since it was metallic.

"Nice" he said finally, accepting the gear and placing it all in separate pockets on his vest, he attached the roll to his right thigh underneath his gun holster where it was within easy reach.

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It had been seven and a half hours since Gabe's breakout but it had been alerted to the New York State authorities after three hours, after five hours S.H.I.E.L.D. was notified (Though since they knew, they feigned surprise and set up a fake investigative initiative which would consist of Carter and Woo asking questions at the asylum and then doing nothing.) it should have ended there but someone had placed an alert marker on anything related to Gabriel McKinner and, per his contract, he notified his controller; seven and a half hours after Gabriel's escape.

"S.T.R.I.K.E. headquarters." The American woman on the other end of the phone, all the way in England was tall, athletic and blonde, her already stunning good looks accented by the tailored ivory dress suit she wore. She placed her designer glasses on her desk as she listened to her informant. He didn't say much, just four words: Gabriel McKinner has escaped.

She hung up without speaking and quickly assigned the informant's fee for the information and then picked up a white phone that had been secreted in a draw close to hand. She waited for the two encrypted phones to connect before speaking. "This is Emma with a priority three call for Ms Braddock." She said in her clipped tone. "No it can't wait." She answered an unheard question "Then tell her that Target: Esus has resurfaced and has been cleared for the playing field and to call all those concerned." She listened for a moment and then she said "Thank you, I will meet her at the gathering." She hung up that phone and picked up the first again after pushing the phone draw closed, she had one more call to make to Gabriel's father and then she could leave.

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Gabriel looked over the weapons booth with a new sense of wonder, it was chock full of weapons; pistols, rifles and sub-machineguns. A veritable smorgasbord of leaded pain; Gabe was in intrusion Heaven; silenced pistols, silenced machine guns and silenced rifles. He looked on in silence as the tech handed him his sword and several types of knife) He was handed a Sig Sauer P229 with a couple of extra magazines and then he was pointed towards another boot looked over by a female technician in the middle of a bad morning, she disgruntledly produced a 480 volt tazer, muttering about Gabe needing to take due care with it. It was a weapon that had been designed to take down Weapon X himself.

He accepted the weapons handed to him and followed Lyle down to the next level, where, waiting for him, was Fury and a twelve-man team of spooks, perched on the open rear-door of the truck was Morigan, she gave Gabriel a dark look and sent him a nasty telepathic image _I'm sorry to keep you waiting Morigan_ he thought.

Morigan then did what she always did when she and Gabe had been apart for an extended period of time; she scanned his memory. She found his weird dream quickly and Gabriel felt her worry through their telepathic link, he sent back a feeling of confidence, which seemed to calm her.

Gabriel had never found out how Morigan was able to bypass his psychic deficiencies, she always avoided answering him in her own way whenever he asked her, i.e. she pecked him, constantly, until he gave up trying or left the room.

Fury moved away from the truck they would be taking and approached Gabe.

"Nice of you to join us Gabriel, maybe we can go now?" Fury continued, not waiting for an answer from Gabriel "Get suited up, we are leaving now." Gabriel closed his eyes and placed the spook eyes over his head and adjusted the strap on the back of his head until the apparatus was snugly fit and then opened his eyes, the world was instantly washed over in NV grey and he felt the headphones built into the NVG slip over his ears and then put on the ninja/spook hood, he gulped as the slight constriction of the throat-mike settled into place. Morigan hopped down from the door and onto Gabriel's shoulder as he approached the rear of the truck.

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Deep underground in the American government's most prized piece of real estate exploratory surgery was underway; Pfc Kyle Denning (19) winced at the sight.

On the table in the middle of the sterile stainless steel room three doctors crowded around the patient, a fourteen-year-old boy.

What Kyle was wincing at wasn't the fact it was _just_ a young kid being carved up. It was a young kid being _awake_ during the surgery that made him uncomfortable, his superiors said that it didn't matter that the boy was awake and in incredible pain, it was a mutant, a thing and an unholy freak. Kyle had nodded dumbly during the briefing, not daring himself to speak because the boy was definitely a mutant; he was six foot tall and covered in scales.

What also made the private uncomfortable was that the boy wasn't screaming in agony, the pain was obviously too much because all he did was gasp and cry silently.

The surgery was over after three hours; the mutant had died during the first, nothing to mark his passing but a remark by one of the doctors.

Kyle returned to his barracks near Area 51's motor pool where he mainly worked on the bases small supply of sedans, the reason Kyle had witnessed what he had underneath building 5 was because the base commander believed all his troops should see the face of 'the enemy'. Many quietly agreed or disagreed, some loudly applauded the Bird Colonel, they where left alone. And some shouted their disapproval at the commander's antics; they were posted quickly. Kyle was angry and scared, angry that someone would do that to a defenceless child, angry that no one stopped the military capturing him in New York, angry that no one had spoken up during the briefing and angry at himself for standing smartly at ease while three psychopathic PhDs butchered the child alive, flickered images of what the doctors had done to the kid's arm... Kyle stumbled into the nearest stall in the barracks toilet, fell to his knees and threw up. And he was scared because he knew that sooner or later, he would be strapped on the slab.

He coughed up the last of the bile and leant back against the stall door, he rolled up the right sleeve of his BDU and stared glumly at the skin around his U.S. Army tattoo, it was beginning to harden into a thick green chitin shell, he felt the tears roll down his cheeks.


	3. First Impressions

**Author's Notes: **This chapter was supposed to be added along with the last but i had difficulty in uploading it, so here it is now, enjoy. Please R&R.

**Unstable**

**Chapter 2**

**First Impressions**

Gabriel felt better with the reassuring weight of Morigan on his shoulder, coupled with the familiar feel of his new uniform and equipment he felt almost invincible. His headphones popped as someone began to speak to the team of agents already inside the truck.

"Today's objective is to find, surround and observe the targets, do not engage unless specifically ordered by November Foxtrot." Gabe grabbed the sides of the door and hauled himself in; two spooks guided him to his seat as the truck lurched into motion. He sat down and strapped in as he nodded his thanks to the spooks then continued to listen to the task force leader, ignoring the pain as Morigan regained her balance on his shoulder. "These pictures were taken by a news crew during the attack." A4 size photos were quickly passed around, Gabe studied the first photo handed to him, he knew the girl pictured, it was Wanda Maximoff. He passed it along and accepted another, it was a top down view of several mutants with quick blow-ups placed in the corners of the paper, Gabe looked over the blow-ups and took note of the defining features. "And take note people, among the group is a wanted terrorist." Gabe was handed another picture, Gabriel groaned. "Something to add, agent?" Gabe looked up at the person who had to be the task force leader; he and the whole cadre of spooks were looking at him.

"This is Raven Darkholme." He said. The Leader nodded. Gabriel felt Morigan's distaste for the mutant.

"That's right agent, otherwise known as Mystique, she is considered to be the most dangerous among the group." The spooks turned away from Gabe and back to the Leader. "Here's the play people, November Foxtrot and Agent Shift there will make contact with the objective, the rest of us will hang back and await further instructions." He rapped up his speech, Gabe realised that he had missed most of it. "Any questions?" Gabe would be damned if he would show his ignorance. "No Questions? Good." The Leader sat down and remained quiet for the remainder of the journey, satisfied with the briefing. Gabe looked at each of his fellow spooks and was reminded of past missions he was apart of.

"Gabriel." Fury's voice came through loud and strong from the cab of the box truck. "You reading me?" Gabe pressed his finger to his ear, a subconscious movement, and whispered back.

"I read you Fury." Low enough that no one else would hear him.

"I have an extra order for you." Fury began "I need you to keep your identity secret from the X-men for as long as possible, at least until their team members are free, the mission will be hard enough without them knowing they have an ex-mutant hunter in their midst."

"Roger that." Gabriel heard Fury grunt and then the radio popped. Gabriel was once again alone with his thoughts; the psychic equivalent of a poke reminded him that Morigan was there as well.

The truck stopped at the bottom of a hill, Gabriel was ushered out first and beckoned by Fury to accompany him, the rest of the spooks disappeared into the woods. Fury handed Gabriel a small leather billfold

"Use this only in emergency's Gabriel." Gabe opened the billfold, inside was a shield with the agency's symbol and name emblazoned on it and an ID with Gabriel's face on it accompanied by a fake name, he nodded and put in an inside pocket of his coat. "And loose that bag of feathers." Morigan cawed her annoyance softly _Stay here until I come back Morigan_. The raven flapped Gabriel around his ear and then flew into the nearest tree to settle into a sulk. Gabriel looked back at Fury, who was impassive as usual. The two walked without fear, all the while listening to an argument further ahead

"-Want you all to know I had nothing to do with Magneto's plans to expose our little _secret_ to the world." Gabriel recognised the voice instantly. "It's a new world out there and we are going to need new leadership." Gabe rolled his eyes; Mystique always did have too much ambition. "If nothing else, this public reaction proves that Xavier was wrong." Gabriel looked at Fury, whose face was, as usual, impassive. "Humans and mutants can not live together in peace." The voice was getting louder and Gabe could make out faint outlines of people in the clearing up ahead.

"Why are you here Mystique?" A new, female voice asked angrily. "What is it you want from us?" She asked as well.

"I want the same thing you want." Mystique countered, _Highly doubtful_ Gabe thought to himself. Gabe felt Fury's hand on his chest and Gabe stopped beside him under the shadow of a large tree, out of sight from the group ahead but within earshot to hear the conversation. "The military have taken a member of my team, I want him back." Gabriel huffed in surprise, Mystique? Caring about someone else? Who'da thunk it? "The problem is I don't know where to start looking." Mystique continued, Fury patted Gabriel shoulder and they both walked into the clearing.

"Maybe I do." He said, loud enough for the group ahead to hear, Gabe watched as everyone turned to look at Fury, then Gabe as he came into view.

"Man!" said a blue furry…thing "Is there anyone that didn't know about this secret meeting?" he asked the world in general, Gabe placed the accent as German but it had been watered down with the boy's stay in America. Mystique took an angry step forward.

"Who are you?" she barked "What do you want?" Gabriel could feel her anger wash over him, Fury looked impassive, ignoring Mystique's rising anger.

"Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." he answered her nonchalantly, taking his toothpick from his mouth as he did. Mystique glanced Gabe's way and then back to Nick.

"And him?" she asked nodding his direction.

"A freelance operative, codename: Shift." Gabriel watched Mystiques face but she didn't recognise him, he had looked a lot different back then, and he had a different codename back then too. "We've been tracking you for hours." Fury lied, Gabe knew it had probably taken no more than an hour-and-a-half give or take ten minutes for communication hiccups.

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" The blue furred mutant asked a taller guy with some sort of visor who was stood behind him.

"Logan told me about them, they're some sorta super-secret CIA." He answered. _Close_ thought Gabe _More global than central_.

"I strongly suggest that you forget where you found us." Mystique advised menacingly, she clicked her fingers and several mutants that had been behind her and surrounded her with equal menace. Gabriel couldn't help but notice Wanda, her hair was shorter now but he recognised the fire that burned in her eyes, it _was_ the last thing he saw as she used a table to force him bodily through a wall. Fury grunted a laugh quietly, Gabriel just managed to pick it up through the spook-hoods audio-pick-ups. Fury replaced the toothpick to his mouth and than snapped his fingers, on cue the Task Force leapt out of hiding and trained their weapons on the group, Gabriel drew his pistol and trained it, one handed, on Mystique, a red laser-dot settled unwavering over the hollow of her throat. She didn't look impressed; neither did the rest of the Brotherhood and X-men as they looked around at the S.H.I.E.L.D. team that had them surrounded, Gabe was impressed though, he had never heard them move into position.

Fury clicked his fingers again and the Task Force lowered their weapons. Gabriel kept his gun trained on Mystique for another second then re-holstered it. Fury gave him a look of annoyance before turning back to the mutants.

"That's just to prove a point." He said, "If I wanted to capture you." He took the toothpick from between his teeth and flicked it away. "You'd be captured." He said with a grim face. One of the X-men, a dark-skinned, white haired woman stepped forward and asked.

"Then what do you want of us?" Fury reached into his jacket and pulled out a PDA much like the one Gabe was given earlier in the day. He walked forward and handed the PDA to the woman.

"To give you this, it contains maps and schematics of the military base where they're holding your friends. I think you'll find it useful."

"And just _why_ are you being so helpful?" Mystique asked Fury, who smiled.

"Lets just say I've got my reasons." The smile faded. "Look, I can't get involved officially but I can at least point you in the right direction." He stepped up beside Gabriel "And offer you the services of a good guide. Shift here will help you any way he can." Mystique huffed.

"I thought S.H.I.E.LD. couldn't get involved." Fury nodded.

"Officially, no, my hands are tied but Shift, officially, doesn't exist so it all pans out." He looked at the two women "Good luck." He said meaningfully and walked back into the forest and one by one the spooks dispersed back into the shadows, Gabriel just about heard them running back down the hill, one of the Brotherhood ran up to the nearest bush and pulled it aside.

"They're gone." That left Gabriel on his own, agitation gnawed on his usually iron clad confidence. "Think we can trust them?" The teenager, who Gabriel thought look like a complete dipshit with that fruit bowl on his head, looked him up and down "Or him?" he added. Gabriel knew now that he was going to have to speak to them, he just had to hope Mystique didn't remember his voice, if he remembered correctly he had used an accent when they had met, he _was_ undercover at the time. One of the X-men, a red-haired teenage girl answered his question.

"I don't know" She turned and directed her next sentence at the white haired woman. "I sensed he was telling the truth though." Gabe guessed that the she was in charge, and she seemed satisfied with her subordinate's advice. Everyone looked at Gabe and he suddenly felt like a very small deer caught in very bright headlights _Eep_ he thought to himself and rested his right hand on the butt of his holstered pistol.

"And what about him?" Mystique asked, Gabriel felt a pain as someone ploughed through his head psychically; he put a hand up to his head and pushed at the pain. It went away after a second.

"All I'm getting is static." The red-head answered. "And I'm getting pain."

"You're not the only one, love." Gabe gasped as he recovered. Every time he was psychically probed it always felt like someone had taken his brain and spit-roasted it. The headaches left instantly but a dull fiery pain always stayed for a couple of minutes afterwards, he didn't know what would happen if someone really went to town in his head but he would bet that headaches would be the least of his problems. "God, that hurts!" he added, again wondering how Morigan managed to bypass the pain.

"And you are?" Mystique asked him directly. Gabriel blinked behind the hood, he would be fine, she didn't recognise him.

"Colonel Fury told you." He answered. Mystique crossed her arms and smirked, Gabe recognised the body language, she was going to be _patronising_.

"Well we don't need a human to watch over us, so run along and play soldier somewhere else." She turned her back on him. Gabriel didn't like being dismissed as nothing it grated against his ego something awful. Gabriel spread his arms wide.

"Make me." He said quietly, but full of menace. Mystique's smirk dipped a bit. She bought her leg up fast to kick him, it never connected, Gabriel had grabbed her foot and thrown her off balance and then to the floor. Gabe looked down at her. "Satisfied? Or do you want to try again?" Gabriel held his hand out, she took it and he pulled her back to her feet "I'm not here to watch over you, hell, I don't care what happens to you, I'm here to get your people out of trouble, _all_ of your people." He directed this towards the X-men. "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to do my job." The leader of the X-men looked like she had made up her mind.

"Alright then it looks like we're back in business." She turned around and began relaying instructions to the X-men. "We'll split up into teams, Scott, you and Jean"- Mystique lunged forward and grabbed the PDA with a swiftness Gabriel hadn't seen in her before, though he had to admit to himself that he hadn't seen her in three years.

"I'll take that and I'll decide how we handle this." Gabriel felt the feud coming.

"What gives you the right?" the X-men's leader asked angrily, a lightning strike framed the scene, Gabe hadn't seen _that_ coming. A large gust of wind picked up.

"I told you before to back off!" Mystique shouted, just audible above the wind. The two stared each other down; Gabe was expecting a full blown cat-fight until the red-head jumped in to stop them.

"Storm! No, remember the professor." The woman named Storm backed down, and Gabe decided to intervene.

"What happened to professor Xavier?" No one took any notice of him.

"Wise council, Jean." Mystique said before turning to her own time. "Alright, our first priority is Magneto, we need to know if he really perished under that Sentinel robot."

Gabriel gave up, they were probably going to ignore him as much as they could any way, he watched Mystique give orders to one of her Brotherhood boys and kept silent while Wanda said she would go as well, his protectiveness welled up again, he wanted to keep close to her and make sure she was alright. He didn't watch them go, he looked over the X-men and silently evaluated them, they all looked pretty capable, for civilians.

They had all quickly agreed that using the X-men's jet would be a bad move so Gabriel had procured a couple of trucks for their journey to the local military base where, according to Fury's instructions, the X-men's other aircraft was being housed. He didn't tell them how he had got the trucks, Mystique had told him to get some, it had taken a while to explain to Gabe why he should do as she told him to and not wipe that stupid imperialistic grin off her face, though once he was told that she had kidnapped Xavier he felt like doing it anyway. He'd fought his urges though; the look on Storm's face had been enough.

On the ride to the base Gabriel sat in the passenger seat of the following truck and got acquainted with the X-men, who had preferred cramped conditions to being in the same truck as Mystique, Gabriel didn't blame them.

They dumped the trucks a mile away from the base and trekked the rest of the way, they stood at the crest of a hill, Gabriel was looking through his binoculars at the camp and gauged their security.

"Well?" Mystique asked impatiently. Gabe handed her the binocs.

"Their security is a bloody shambles, I could get in and scout around the whole base and never be seen or heard." Mystique nodded.

"Do it." She ordered. Gabe sighed.

"What exactly am I looking for?" he asked the X-men, who seemed to be using him as a divide between them and Mystique.

"A VTOL." Scott answered him "A Vertica-" Gabe put his hand on his shoulder.

"I know what a VTOL is Cyclops, I'm military born and bred." He paused a second as another question reared in his head. "Jet or chopper?"

"Chopper." Scott answered.

"Right, back in…twenty minutes." He took off at a run down the hill and straight towards a completely unguarded section of the wire fence, then upon getting close to it jumped it in a single leap.

"I've never seen anyone move like that." Kurt commented. Mystique's face darkened.

"I have." She said.

Gabriel leapt the fence and immediately ran up the wall of a nearby hanger and grabbed the overlapping edge of the roof, he waited for his body to re-acquire normal gravity before hauling himself up onto the roof. He looked down and spotted two patrolling grunts walk below him.

"I'm telling you I heard someone running then…jumping." Said the first, Gabe pegged his accent as southern, possibly Texas or Arizona, definitely old confederate.

"So you heard someone running then jumping?" the other grunt asked, Gabriel could tell the other one was a Brooklyn native as soon as he said 'heard'. Gabe could also tell they were actually Marine Corp, which confused Gabriel, all the Marine held bases he had, uh, _been_ on were heavily fortified; overlapping irregular patrols, landmines, pillboxes and everything else Old Uncle Sam had bestowed upon his best and, well best anyway. "What did this 'someone' jump over? The twelve-foot fence?" the second jar-head asked sarcastically. "Come on, no one can jump a twelve foot fence." The first Marine, who had a better grasp of the new world they were now in put forth, what Gabe predicted would be the common excuse for everything un-explained, the most plausible theory. In this case the marine was only _half_ right.

"A mutant could." The second guy made a sound like _pshaw_.

"What mutant would be stupid enough to attack a Marine base?" _Ah_, thought the British agent _lax security due to arrogance and lethargy, makes sense_. Gabriel crept away silently over the roof to it's apex and took a look around, the base wasn't big and Gabe could see the hint of a rotor just on the other side of the hanger, He kept low and quiet as he neared the edge, making sure he shifted his gravitational centre so he always remained 'level' on the curved edge of the roof. The VTOL definitely wasn't military, there were no markings, and no government would put a jet engine on a perfectly good chopper, too costly. Satisfied that he had gathered enough intelligence he headed back to the fence side of the hanger and looked down, the patrol was gone and no one else was in sight. He jumped over the fence from the roof and jogged back up the hill.

"The VTOL is situated behind that hanger and is only guarded by one jarhead." He relayed to Mystique "I could go back find some bolt cutters and we could all steal aboard the chopper and dust off before anyone would notice." Mystique looked from Gabriel to the base then to Jean.

"Actually I've got a better idea." She said. Jean didn't look best pleased.

"Do we have to be _this _close to the ruddy fence!" Gabe asked his ersatz leader, he wasn't pleased with this idea, not. One. Bit.

"Shift?" Jean asked, she was under heavy strain trying to lift the Velocity as Cyclops called their aircraft. "Shut. Up. Please." Gabe kept broodingly quiet though he gasped in amazement as the Velocity floated over his and the others' heads and settled with barely a sound on the plain. They boarded and dusted off just as the base hit high alert, Gabe figured they had easily ten minutes of free time as the Marines swept the base before checking the surrounding areas. Storm and Mystique took the pilot and co-pilot seats and every one else occupied the seats fairly quickly, that left Gabe standing.

"I'll wait in the hold." He said and walked down the stairs into the bowels of the chopper to wait.


	4. Area51

**Author's notes:**

**Unstable Chapter 3 **

**Area 51 **

Gabriel was alone within the working areas of the Velocity, looking around at the electronics that ran the ship, he couldn't help it, he was a naturally curious person, and bored, _very_ bored. Electronics was never something he was good at but he guessed that the one he was looking at was regulating the rotor speed and angle.

"Gabriel?" Fury beckoned in his ear. Gabriel placed a hand on the machine to steady himself as the Velocity banked.

"I hear you Fury, what's up?" Gabriel sat down on the steps up to the cockpit.

"I've got reports coming in from New York about a breach in security at a Marine base, that wouldn't happen to be you?" Gabe laughed.

"It wasn't me that set the alarm off, the jarheads are just a bit annoyed that the X-men took back what was rightfully there's." Gabriel felt the pressure in the hold change as they descended.

"How's it feel to be back in the field, Gabriel?" Fury asked, Gabriel frowned under the hood, which was beginning to itch.

"I feel like I've walked right into the middle of an argument, half way through, and managed to piss off both sides just by walking in." Gabriel took a breath. "Who am I kidding; I'm free and I'm working again. I'm bloody enjoying this."

"Glad to know." Gabriel pulled the nylon roll from his leg and unrolled it, inside was every piece of lock-picking equipment known to man. He took out the lock drill and inspected it. "I have an extra assignment for you Gabriel, I need you to get the base commander to back down, make him quit, I'll leave the method up to you."

"Okay colonel." He paused for a second and scratched at his neck underneath the hood. "Incidentally colonel, could you have your techno-weenies make me a hood out of some sort of breathable material, I'm sweating like a stuck pig in this suit."

"I'll have Lyle's department go to work on it immediately." Fury replied, Gabriel pushed the power button on the drill, it made satisfying _whirr_ as it span.

"Cheers, Fury."

Up in the cockpit Mystique couldn't sit still, she was worried that behind her was a danger she hadn't accounted for, a problem that would escalate further down the line. Storm noticed her squirming.

"Problem?" she asked. Mystique snapped her head around and glowered at Storm.

"None of your damn business!" she snapped, Storm couldn't help but smile grimly.

"Have it your way." She said then concentrated on piloting the Velocity.

Gabriel rolled up the lock pick set and hooked it back onto his leg. He felt the VTOL bank once more but to stop instead of turn, they had arrived. The door opened behind him and Mystique walked down the step towards him. Gabe stood up and faced her; he didn't trust her enough to bare his back to her.

"Leave the weapons here, Shift." She ordered.

"Go to hell." He answered. "I don't go anywhere unarmed."

"Then keep the knives but drop the sword and gun." Her tone was hard, he knew he wouldn't win this one. "Do it or professor Xavier stays missing." She threatened. They stared daggers at each other for a few seconds before Gabriel sighed.

"Fine." He un-holstered his pistol, clicked the safety and threw it into one of the corners; he grabbed the sword scabbard just below the tsuba and pulled it through its loops and then chucked it on top the sidearm. He pulled his tazer round and placed it into the pistol holster. "Happy?" he asked her.

"It'll do." She replied tersely, any further conversation was stopped as the hold shook from the Velocity touching down on the ground. The X-men filed down and staggered to a halt behind Mystique.

"Is something wrong?" Storm asked.

"No." Mystique and Shift said together, with an equal amount of ice in their voices.

"Then shall we get on?" Storm suggested, beckoning to the main hatch of the chopper "We are here for a reason." She chided them when neither moved. Gabe gave in first. He stalked out of the Velocity and onto the arid surface of the Nevada desert. He could see Area 51 a half-mile away, he smiled, now that was how you set up a defensive perimeter; Around the base was every type of defensive measure that the US military could think up: Pillboxes with overlapping fields of fire, motion sensors on the fence and overlapping patrols of at least three grunts. He'd even bet there would be laser-grids and gas-jets and all kinds of freaky shit in the armoured corridors, Gabe smiled, he was actually going to have fun. And on top of that he found a flaw in the security net.

"Hmmm." Mystique mused beside him "This is going to be difficult." Gabe snorted. "What!" She demanded.

"I'm not going to say anything, you're in charge, you figure it out." Gabe sat down against a rock then pulled one of the spy droids from his utility vest and looked for an on switch, he couldn't find one.

"What are you doing?" Mystique asked him once she saw him fiddling with the little machine.

"I was hoping to get some intel with this thing, but I can't find the on switch so that idea's in the pisser." He kept on looking for the switch while Mystique kept an eye on the base.

"What's that?" a female voice asked behind him. He turned to see the youngest X-men member bending down and looking intently at the small spy robot in his hand.

"It's supposed to be an autonomous intelligence gathering bug but it won't start. For now it's just a piece of sophisticated junk." He looked her over, she was young, it was hard to imagine that Gabe had started out his current career at around her age, but she seemed capable enough. She held out her hand.

"May I?" Gabe handed her the bug silently and watched her go over it. "It's activated by a computer through a USB cable." She explained. "Have you got a computer with you?" Gabe fished out the PDA and handed her a USB cable he'd been supplied with. She connected it and had the little critter activated in minutes. "There you go." She said, Gabe smiled and accepted the PDA and bug.

"Thanks, uh…" Gabe had realised that he hadn't talked to her yet.

"Shadowcat." She answered his unanswered question.

"Shadowcat, right, cheers love." He programmed a search pattern into the bug then looked up at Mystique then at the PDA she was holding. "Could you give me the grid number for the western perimeter corner Mystique?" he asked her calmly. Mystique turned on him.

"Just who's in charge here!" she snapped, trying to regain some control.

"Funny." Gabe mused, "I was asking myself that same question." He waited a couple of seconds then asked, "Can you give me those coordinates _please_?" She relayed the grid numbers to him and he typed them in and set the bug on its way.

"So are you going to fill us all in on this plan of yours?" Gabe paused momentarily.

"Plan?" he asked "You wanted to lead this soiree, you come up with the bloody plan, I'm just gathering intelligence on the bases defences." Gabe looked down on the screen and watched the bugs camera view. It was a jittery fish-eye view of the fence and dog pens that were backed onto it. The dogs were unrecognisable through the spy-cam but two of them picked up the bug's movement. The one in the lead had to be the alpha male, as it came closer to the now hovering bug a white dash appeared over its muzzle, that was all Gabriel needed.

"That's our point of entry, there won't be any kind of sensors beyond surveillance cameras because the dogs would constantly set them off." He looked around at the young mutants and realised that they were listening to him, waiting for him to tell them what to do. "First we have to think about our escape, the Velocity's the best way I can think of so someone is gonna have to stay with it, preferably some one who knows how to pilot it." The group glanced at the only two X-men who were trained; Storm and Cyclops. Storm stepped forward.

"I'll stay." She replied.

"Thanks Storm, it looks like the best intrusion point is the dog pens situated in the western corner." He repeated "It's effectively a dead zone apart from the possibility of CCTV." He paused a second "Which could be tricky."

"Um, actually I can like, phase through the cameras and short them out." Kitty offered.

"They're most likely about twenty foot of the ground, how would you get up there?" Gabe asked.

"I could teleport her up there." Kurt answered.

"Excellent." Gabe said, smiling. "Now once we're inside we'll stay in two loose groups-"

"Aren't you forgetting about something?" Mystique asked him, she had a look on her face which suggested she knew something he didn't.

"Lessee: Entry point, surveillance and escape vector." He thought it over. "Nope, haven't left anything out yet, you got any suggestions?"

"How about the dogs that happen to be in the dog pens!" she asked, waving a hand in the direction of the base.

"They won't be a problem." He ignored her and got back to the plan he wasn't supposed to be making. "What we'll do is split into two groups, one to disable the security and surveillance measures and the other to rescue the captives; Scott, you lead the rescue team and take Jean, Nightcrawler and Avalanche with you. Shadowcat, Iceman, Mystique and myself will sort out the rest, questions?" Mystique waved the PDA in his face.

"Your plan won't work." She said.

"Really?" Gab asked "Why?"

"The laboratory building's automated security measures all run through a power box that's isolated from the bases security room it's too much for one team to take care of."

"Then we split the team further."

"Very well, but you will come with me and we'll disable the outside sensors for the rest to enter unannounced." Gabe shook his head.

"We don't need to, the dog pens-"

"Are full of dogs, it's my way or bust Shift." Gabe realised that he had to back down, show willingness to compromise.

"Okay we'll do it your way, choose your point of entry."

Mystique and Shift made their way closer to the western corner of Area 51 while the rest of the team waited by the barest patch of fence they could find and hid among the rocks as close to the fence as they dared and waited.

Mystique gave her temporary partner a condescending look as she appraised his entry point. He'd been absolutely adamant that they could easily slip in through the dog pens and she was inclined to believe him when they had got in close, there was no one nearby other than two dog handlers that were lazing in a guard hut not being particularly observant. The ten dogs were a different matter; they were alert and looking in her direction. They weren't barking or making any noise; it was almost like they were waiting for something. Shift tapped her on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper.

"I'm gonna go clear out a path for us, I'll signal when the coast is clear, got it?" she nodded and watched him half-run to the fence of the dog pen, crouch down and tap it, all the dogs whined, except the alpha male who stalked closer, head lowered and teeth bearing. It stopped right beside Shift and growled, the Brit leaned right next to the fence and stared into the dog's eyes. After five minutes of staring the dog lowered its head and backed away, Shift jumped the fence, taking care not to hurt himself on the barb-wire, and snuck through the dogs then jumped the next fence and sidled up to the guard hut. He turned and motioned for her to move. She turned into a raven and flew up to his position; changing back she smirked at him.

"Sure." He muttered "If your gonna do things the _easy_ way." He pointed to the door and opened his hand then counted off the fingers in seconds, she nodded and he crawled around to the small window where he had seen one of the handlers leaning against it. He raised himself level with the window and waited for Mystique.

A knock at the door made both handlers stand up, Gabe smashed the glass of the window and grabbed the handler right in front of it around the neck, the other handler turned around and got a door kicked into his back; he was knocked out instantly, Gabe's handler choked into unconsciousness shortly after. Gabe extracted his arm from the window and walked around the hut and through the open door frame. Mystique was pulling the two handlers under the huts table.

"That won't do any good, as soon as they see the broken door the shit'll hit the fan." Mystique looked up at the broken window then turned back to Gabriel, as she did she changed into one of the guards.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before smashing the window." The voice was low and gruff.

"True." He conceded "True, I didn't have much time to think everything through." Gabriel pulled the other guard over and pulled out the tag from the collar, the uniform was two sizes too big. He'd have to sneak around some more till he found a fitting uniform. "Guess we'll have to do this the hard way." He said to himself. He looked up at Mystique "I guess you're leading the way from here." He said to her, she took the lead.

Mystique walked in plain view while Gabriel kept out of sight, always keeping at least seven steps behind her and not leaving the shadows before insuring the coast is clear. Their progress was slow but they arrived at the bases main security complex. Connected to the building was a hut similar to the one by the pens, luckily there was only one marine, one very alert marine. From their small hiding spot a few hundred yards from the building they watched as the guard checked everyone going in and out of the place.

"Great." Gabriel mused "It's gonna be a bitch getting in." he turned to Mystique "Any ideas?" she scowled.

"What are you implying?" she asked testily.

"Me? Nothing, nothing what_so_ever." He replied.

"Good." She said firmly "the best way would be for me to distract him and you to take him out." Shift nodded.

"Good plan, I'll have to take a scenic route so give me twenty seconds then do whatever you have to." With that Gabe backed into the shadows and, with the sound of shifting air, was gone. Mystique waited in her kneeling position beside the flatbed truck and counted to twenty before standing up and straightening the uniform. She checked herself for anything that would give her away, finding none she marched straight for the security hut. The leather-neck in the booth saw her immediately but didn't do anything until she was right at the window, Mystique saluted quickly and took the clipboard she was handed and she made an act out of it, pretending the pen was out of ink.

"You got another?" she asked the marine, who nodded and reached into a draw beside him. Gabe dropped down behind him and kicked the draw shut, the marine was about to scream when Mystique grabbed him by the collar and slammed his head onto the sill of the window. Gabe pulled the marine to the floor and checked his pulse; it was strong and steady. Gabe pulled the guards key card from his belt and tossed it to Mystique. Gabe met her by the door and waited for her to slide the card through, hearing a buzzing tone he pushed the door open and looked in, the corridor was deserted.

"You take it from here." Gabriel said and hung back as she walked through, changing into the visage of the unconscious marine; again Gabe kept several steps behind her. Gabe watched her walk past other marines and none of them gave her a second glance, it reminded him of Paris. In the short months Gabriel had known Mystique, one thing had always stood out; she could fit in anywhere. It didn't matter where or who, she just looked like she belonged there, a skill Gabriel had never got the hang of, Gabe always thought it was one of the reason they'd…

He shook his to dispel the line of thinking, the hall right to the main security annex was clear and Mystique was out of sight; he snuck down it, keeping his back to the wall opposite the annex door. He heard someone inside sigh.

"What I do _now_?" Gabe heard a chair squeak as someone stood up, he had to get out of sight, looking up and down the corridor he saw no good places to hide, there was only one thing he could do. "Take over will ya?" Gabe jumped up and brushed the roof with his fingers, as if following a pattern, the rest of his body followed until he was laying on the roof as easily as if it was the floor, only difference being that Gabriel wouldn't have to concentrate so hard on lying on the floor, his brain hurt from the strain of completely inverting his centre of gravity. He watched as an overweight sergeant walked into the hall and back down the way Gabe had come. He dropped down to the floor and entered the annex; a circular wall of TV screens occupied the room with a computer terminal following the same contour, Mystique was already busy working on the security mainframe.

"Warn me next time, Will ya?" He said to Mystique, she had changed back to her natural form.

"It's not my problem if you can't keep up…Gabriel." She watched him closely, obviously waiting for him to react.

"I wondered when you were going to figure it out Raven." He pulled off the hood and stuffed it into a pocket and squinted in the light for a moment. Mystique looked Gabriel over, he had changed, grown from the boy she had fought beside and against four years ago, the piercing black eyes were the same but almost everything else about him had changed, she couldn't remember him having one scar on his face, let alone two.

"You've changed." She remarked and then got back to work.

"So have you Raven, I guess the white wasn't working for you, huh?" he leaned over her shoulder to watch her work. She typed in the command to shut off the fences sensor system. Pulled a radio off her belt and hit the call button

"All right, the sensors are down, move, now." She released the call button and turned to Gabriel. "Do you mind?" she asked.

"No, I don't." Gabriel activated his own radio "Velocity, start your pre-flight, I don't think this excursion will last more than twenty minutes."

"Understood." Storm replied, "Standing by." Gabe got the feeling she wasn't in the best of moods, Gabriel understood, when action was called for waiting was hardest thing to do.

"I'll see if I can track the kids' progress." He said and sat in the chair next to Mystiques, he began to punch in camera numbers, after a minute he got a good image, not of the X-men but of something equally important. _Fury you sly bastard_ he thought, "You hold the fort here Mystique, I've got someone I need to talk to." Mystique looked up from here work.

"Who?" she asked, Gabriel flicked the screen he was looking at and she recognised the Bird-Colonel too.

"I should've known." She said with a grim smile, Gabriel agreed. He flipped through the camera views until he found the X-men then stood up and watched her get back to work.

"Iceman, third door in the next corridor, I'll switch off the motion sensors." Gabriel slapped the chair then leaned close.

"Later." He said and turned toward the door, then stood still, the fat guy was back.

"Hey, the captain said…" Gabriel grabbed him and slammed his forehead down hard on the sergeants nose then swung his elbow into the crippled guards temple, he was out like a light, and though Gabe's head hurt he knew deep down he was enjoying every sensation that came with his job.

"Weren't you going?" Mystique asked him.

"What? Oh yeah." He answered and pulled his hood back on.

"Then go." Gabe nodded and left, it was just then that the base hit full alert. "Oh _smeg_!" he shouted He heard Mystique run behind him. "Lab?"

"Lab." They took off at a full run.

They caught up with the X-men in the lab complex fairly easily, all the bases staff were by the hangers and were too busy to notice the pair running from building to building, they didn't seem too happy to see them.

"Mystique." Jean said; the venom in her voice was palpable.

"You three hold them off." She ordered, gesturing to Cyclops, Jean and Avalanche. "We'll get the prisoners, come with me. This way." Kurt and Gabriel followed in close pursuit until a split in the corridor.

"I'm headed this way!" He shouted and turned right towards the main office complex, almost running into Ice-man and Shadowcat.

"Shift! What the hell are you doing here?" Iceman asked him.

"I've got something that I need to take care of, head left down the hall, your friends are there, back them up." The kids nodded and rushed down the hall. Gabriel waited till they were out of sight then continued down the corridor, the colonel he was going to drop in on was someone he had history with; as did Mystique and almost every other mutant who Gabe had either fought alongside or with. The colonel had been a major factor in several secret wars concerning mutants, usually to do with their destruction. Gabriel had had the unfortunate honour to see the man at work; he was a brilliant military strategist and tactician and Gabe had learned a lot from him but mostly Gabe's stomach turned at the colonel's obvious glee at wiping out unarmed mutants, the man had issues.

The corridor opened out into a large oval room that was decked out to look like an autopsy room, inside was the colonel and his personal guard with their backs to him looking at a couple of T.V. screens. Gabe couldn't see what was on them but it couldn't have been good because the colonel hit one of the screens hard enough for Gabriel to hear the _thunk_. Gabriel walked slowly into the room, he saw several people in lab coats off to his right also with their backs to him. He kept walking, making no sound as he moved, getting closer to the colonel's armed guard.

"What the?" One of the scientists had turned and seen him, on cue everyone turned around and looked at the intruder. The bodyguard took one look and went for his sidearm; Gabe grabbed his arm and pushed him into the console. He drove his knee up into the guard's groin and after letting him double over Gabe smashed his elbow into the back of the guard's neck; he went down immediately.

Gabe turned back towards the colonel and un-holstered his tazer and stuck it into the colonel's gut.

"Everyone, leave." He said loudly, the scientists behind him left quickly. The Colonel began to move but Gabe poked him harshly in the gut. "Not you Colonel" He hooked his foot around a nearby stool and kicked it closer to the colonel "Sit." He ordered, keeping his voice level, despite the anger he was feeling being this close to him, and the fact that Gabriel now saw what was on the T.V. screens didn't help; A mutant lizard was on a slab, he had a Y-incision and a hacked off arm to boot.

"Do you have any idea who I am, son?" The colonel's voice had a slight southern draw attached to what Gabe surmised was a northern accent, most likely Washington or Oregon.

"Of course I do." Gabe answered "You're colonel William Stryker, former military cleric who transferred to extraterrestrial R and D around four years ago, specifically Mutant research." He paused for a second then nodded towards the screen. "Who's that?" Stryker didn't look at the screen.

"A mutant we picked up in the New York sweep." He answered.

"I didn't ask what he is I asked _who_ he is." Gabe was finding it hard to be civil.

"We didn't bother to ask." Stryker replied, then leaned closer to Gabriel as if to get a better look at him. "I know you, don't I?" He added, _He's quick_ Gabe thought.

"Where is he?" Gabe asked, ignoring Stryker's question.

"Two floors down behind the best security we have in place, you'll never get to him and besides that, he's dead, son." Gabe didn't need the colonel to tell him that, he could tell just by looking. Gabe sighed then refocused on the colonel.

"I have a message from my employers colonel Stryker, quit now or we'll find someway to have you dishonourably discharged later down the line." It was a bluff, a strong bluff, but a bluff just the same. Gabe ploughed through his memories of Stryker, everything he knew, and had heard, of the man.

"Oh really?" Stryker asked with a laugh "and what do you think you have on me."

"It's not up to me to tell you that but I could talk to the cops about two suspicious deaths around four, five years ago, just before you transferred." It was enough; Gabe looked into the colonel's eyes and saw guilt and anger. "That's just the tip of the iceberg Stryker, Quit, _now_." Gabe pulled the trigger on the tazer and electrocuted the colonel into unconsciousness, he pulled the cartridge that attached the electrodes to the tazer off and left it attached to Stryker. He holstered the weapon and ran out of the room.

Storm sat in the cockpit of the Velocity, fidgety and tense, she had completed the pre-flight as Shift had suggested, and then did it again, then again and again. She was going crazy just sitting there and waiting for something to happen.

All of a sudden the base was a hive of activity, alarms were sounding all over the base and she could see military personnel running towards the hangers. She started the engines and pushed the rotor speed up and dusted off, seconds before she heard Mystique over the radio.

"Storm, we're going to need pick up service, building five." She could hear the alarms in the background, as well as other voices. She pitched the VTOL forward towards the base.

"Storm, do a wide sweep and come in from the south, there's less chance of you getting tagged from that direction." Shift shouted over the radio, several loud noises made the speakers buzz loudly, almost drowning him out.

"I copy Shift." Storm pulled the nose up and banked the Velocity. She could already see people on the roof of building five and hoped that Shift's course change wouldn't complicate things.


	5. Escape

**Chapter 4**

**Escape**

Gabriel had run into trouble the second he had left Stryker twitching on the floor, Gabriel figured they must have seen him on camera because normal patrols don't usually consist of six guys packing riot gear and stun batons.

The soldiers had cut him off from the rest of the X-men, leaving him only one way to go, the other end of the hall and, hopefully around and out of the building.

"Freeze Mutie!" one of the grunts shouted, Gabriel ignored him, turned and ran down the hallway. The marines took off after him but the Riot gear slowed them down enough for Gabriel to gain a sizable lead, but he ran into another patrol of two marines. They had their pistols drawn; they had been waiting for him.

Gabe raised his hands and began to run scenarios in his head, systematically rejecting them based on how the marines moved and acted; The alpha, A corporal, moved in to apprehend him, he moved with determination and confidence while his partner, a Pfc, kept Gabriel covered. He noticed the private's gun was shaking slightly, either he was a recent recruit or he was scared.

Gabriel had his game plan the second he looked into the private's eyes and only had to wait for his cue. The corporal holstered his weapon and raised his left arm and grabbed Gabriel's right wrist ready to twist him around and handcuff him, Gabe attacked.

He wrapped his left hand around the marine's neck and pulled him around using his already twisting body to help. He clenched his new shield's throat with the inside of his elbow and pulled his gun out with his free hand, lucky for Gabe the corporal was also right-handed. He placed the barrel of the gun against his captives' neck.

"Drop the gun or I drop him." He told the private in his best generic American accent, it was an empty bluff; Fury would have his head mounted on the bow of the Triskellion if he killed one of the marines. "Put it down Private." He said again, the boy was scared; here he was in the heart of America's most protected real estate in a critical dilemma when he probably thought his worst situation would be determined E.T. nuts.

They stayed in the Mexican standoff for a couple of seconds, Gabriel had to hurry this up, the riot squad would be close by. "Tell you what, I'll make this easier. Drop the gun." Gabe switched his aim to the private "Or I drop _you_." The private dropped the weapon after a nod from his superior. "Thank you." Gabriel knocked the corporals knees out from under him, took a step forward and threw him at the private, knocking them both to the floor. His radio crackled and he heard Mystique call for evac. Gabriel turned and ran down the corridor and turned left at the junction, away from the others, he wouldn't make it back to them in time so he would have to cross Storm's flight path at a closer interval; problem was, Gabriel was south of the team while Storm was due west, he'd have to get her to change course. He pulled the radio from his belt just as he felt someone coming up behind him, he turned, saw the riot team who were now armed with freaky looking firearms that Gabriel didn't recognise. He took all this in and ran without a seconds hesitation. He pushed the send button as the first hail of gunfire flew over him, a warning shot.

"Storm, do a wide sweep and come in from the south, there's less chance of you getting tagged from that direction." He advised as he ducked into another corridor.

"I copy Shift." He heard Storm reply; he clipped the radio back onto his belt and continued down the corridor as fast as he could run. He needed a way out of the building, a roof hatch maybe or a door or even… Gabriel noticed the grating on the floor, he stopped and placed his ear against it, he couldn't hear any water but he could hear air. He heaved the grate up and dropped into the vent below, he reached up for the grating once more but was stopped by a bullet ricocheting of the floor, he disappeared down the vent and was gone. The sergeant in charge of the riot squad watched him go and then activated his radio.

"The target's gone rat, have you got into the security room yet?" he asked one of his other teams but got no reply but a click, meaning they were but were maintaining vocal silence for an unknown reason. "Then enter the climate sub-menu, close all air ducts and flush the system." Another click answered him and seconds later a shutter closed over the vent.

Gabriel never knew what hit him, a sudden gush of water pushed passed him and forced him down the metal tunnel system that pumped air around the building, he curled into a ball to minimise the damage to his limbs but he still felt intense pain with every impact. He was pushed around for four minutes before being ejected out into the frigid night air. He coughed up a little water and looked up, the Velocity was coming in fast. He had to be quick.

Gabriel turned and ran towards and then up the building, he fumbled the last few steps but grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up. He started running in the same direction as the Velocity which was catching up fast. An inclined section of roofing gave him an opportunity; he shifted his centre of gravity to put on a burst of speed, it felt like running down a cliff. When he reached the incline he shifted again to keep his momentum up and then jumped towards the Velocity as it passed over head.

Storm felt the VTOL lurch as something came into contact with it. She levelled the aircraft and kept it on course.

"Storm could you open the side hatch please?" Shift asked over the radio, his voice sounded strained.

"Why?" she asked him as she rose over the highest apex of building 5 and the X-men came into view.

"Do it and I'll answer you." He snapped, Storm hit the relevant button on the console and, seeing that she was now close to the X-men and pulled the nose up to slow the Velocity down. The cockpit door opened behind her and Gabriel walked up beside her.

"Thanks love, I was quickly losing my grip out there." She looked up to answer when she saw a red smear around the hem of his mask. "What?" he asked and then sensing the direction of her gaze he pawed at his neck and looked at his blood smeared fingers. He walked back toward the hold and pulled his hood off, the blood had been coming from his nose, it happened whenever he overtaxed himself. He discarded the hood with the rest off his loose effects, wiped off the remaining blood and took position by the hatch to help people in.

The Velocity crept close to the roof edge and a couple of people who Gabe guessed were X-men by their uniforms headed towards him. He stretched out his hand and a pale skinned girl with brown hair and white bangs took it, he hauled her in and grabbed another X-men he hadn't met yet; an African-American boy with a stylised blonde buzz-cut. He pulled him in and ignored the suspicious look. He had to pull hard to get the next person in; he was a little bit on the portly side.

Next were Kitty, Kurt and Bobby then someone who looked like Kurt only more ape-like , he nodded in Gabriel's direction but he still had the same weary look in his eyes that the other's had. He had everyone in except Cyclops and Avalanche who were about to rip into each other and another X-man, who could only be Weapon X, trying to break it up. Gabriel cupped a hand around his mouth and shouted over the noise of the rotors "The taxi's leaving, people! Move it or lose it!" Weapon X said something to Cyclops that Gabriel couldn't hear then both ran towards him as he pulled the Brotherhood member aboard. "Where's Mystique?" Gabe asked him quickly. Avalanche shrugged and ran up into the cockpit where Gabriel could here Storm shouting.

"We've been targeted!"

"Just two more to go, keep her steady." Gabriel called back, Gabe didn't have to help Weapon X on board, he jumped the gap, Cyclops went to do the same but came up short as Storm began to pull away. Gabriel grabbed a hold of him in time to stop him hitting the concrete, Weapon X took a hold of Cyclops' other arm and they both pulled the extra-vehicular X-man into the belly of the escaping VTOL. Cyclops took a second to get his breath back then thanked Gabriel.

"Thanks, I thought it was all over there." He said quietly.

"Well it's not over yet." Jean told them from the stairs " Two missiles, six o'clock." She told them, Cyclops leaned out, Gabe followed suit. He could just about see two streaks of white heading in their direction.

"Bobby, front and centre, take down the left one." Gabriel pulled away from the door to let Iceman through, He didn't see the explosions but he heard them as the two X-men let loose with their powers. He looked out at the expanding clouds of gas and smoke. Then, feeling static in the air, watched the bases SAM sites explode from a lightning storm. He pulled the hatch shut then settled in the corner with his stuff.

Wolverine entered the cockpit and placed a hand on Ororo's shoulder.

"Logan." She greeted him with a smile on her face.

"Hey 'Ro, thanks for the rescue." He said quietly "Who's the boy in blue currently doin' the lone samurai act in the hold?" He asked her.

"We don't know, he's a freelance operative with S.H.I.E.L.D. codenamed Shift. We don't know why but Nick Fury loaned him to us" she explained.

"Fly straight for about a mile then bank left and fly for a further two, stop there, I want to have a little chat with this Shift guy." He turned around and walked to the rear of the cabin. Scott, who had sat in the right-hand seat closest to the door, stopped Logan momentarily.

"While I don't trust him Logan just remember, he helped us bust you out." Logan didn't say anything but left the cabin.

Gabriel felt the helicopter lurch and change direction; he would have asked one of the two Brotherhood members what was happening but he could tell by the look on their faces that they didn't know either. Gabriel turned to look at the door as it opened and Weapon X walked through into the hold and stopped right in front of him. Gabe stood up but remained silent, even when he was grabbed and hauled over to the exit hatch and held out, waist up, over the side of the aircraft.

"Why did Fury send you?" Gabe's captor asked over the roar of the engine, Gabriel didn't answer but twisted around and looked at the passing scenery, He was shook violently by Weapon X to regain his attention. "Answer me or I drop you, bub." Gabe smiled.

"Go ahead, but you better just remember, I hold a mean grudge." Weapon X pushed him out further until only his ankles were making contact with the deck of the Velocity. Gabriel looked down at the moving vista once more and did several calculations. He would survive the fall but he would at the very least sprain something just from the attempt at deceleration and he still felt weak from jumping onto the belly of the Velocity to escape Area 51.

Gabriel only had to look into Weapon X's eyes to know that there was nothing the mutant wanted more than to drop him, Gabe sensed something was holding him back. Gabe had to make a decision, talk or keep his mouth shut, either option wasn't an attractive one; talk, and Fury would be all over him like a cheap suit and if he kept quiet then he had to deal with probably the most deadly human being alive. A quiet moment passed before Gabriel broke the silence.

"Fine I'll tell you what I can, pull me in." Lance rushed to get out of the way as Gabriel was thrown against the opposite wall. Gabriel groaned as he pulled himself upright and stretched his back. "I said pull." He noted "not throw." His interrogator stood straight on.

"Who are you and why did Fury send you?" Gabriel pulled off his combat vest and sat down on the deck before answering.

"My name is Gabriel McKinner, Codename: Shift, Warrant Officer 2nd class; Special Forces, Outfit Program Investigative division, retired." He paused a beat before continuing "I was hired by Fury to get you and your team out of Area 51 and then making sure they're safe until the government stops the witch hunt." He explained.

"And we're just supposed to trust you?" Gabriel scoffed at the question.

"You really think I'm that naive Weapon X?" Weapon X pushed him against the skin of the aircraft and popped his claws close enough to Gabriel's face to prick his skin.

"Consider this a warning, don't call me that." Gabriel gripped the offending hand carefully, ignoring the pain from his cheek.

"That's all I know you as, until someone tells me different." Gabriel put a smile on his face and then held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Gabriel McKinner, and you are?" Gabriel got a deep-throated growl for his troubles; Weapon X let go and stalked back into the cabin. "And I thought I was a grumpy sod." He mused.

"That's Logan, he trains the X-geeks in all things physical." Lance interjected from the opposite corner. Gabriel walked over and sat down with the two Brotherhood members.

"I'll have to remember that, cheers." He looked from Lance to the chubby one. "And you are?"

"I'm Fred, Fred Dukes but my friends call me Blob." Fred answered "uh, thanks for breakin' me out." Gabriel waved his thanks away.

"I was paid to and besides, I only played a small part in the breakout." Gabriel looked between the two before continuing. "Could one of you tell me what happened to Mystique?" Lance scowled.

"Summers locked her inside the base, she's been captured." He answered, inside Gabriel felt a mixture of emotions, worry over her knowledge of him and Stryker was bound to take a special interest in her but on the plus side, she wouldn't be around to cause trouble. _Wait…_

"Why?" he asked.

"She refused to talk." _Xavier_. _Ah_. Gabriel thought.

"I don't suppose either of you two happen to know-" Lance cut him off before he could finish the question.

"No, we don't know where the delusional cripple is, so don't ask." Lance snapped.

"Fine, fine." He hauled himself back up and retreated back to his corner. The Velocity once again pitched forward and flew back to New York.

Logan had returned to the cockpit and quietly took over from Storm to let her get some rest, saying nothing of his conversation with Gabriel and no one was inclined to ask. The rest of the flight back was uneventful with the X-men filling each other in on their separate experiences of the past twenty-four hours. Down in the hold Gabriel sat and waited for Fury to raise him on the radio, he was sure that somewhere on his person was a homing device that would light him up like a halogen lamp.

Gabe didn't have to wait long, roughly an hour after escaping Area 51 his radio squawked to life.

"Gabriel, this is Agent Barker, Do you copy?" Gabriel glanced over at the Brotherhood boys to see if they had heard the transmission, satisfied that they hadn't he curled further in on himself and activated the throat mike.

"I copy Barker, what's up?" He muttered into the mike, low enough so he wouldn't be heard by anyone but Lyle.

"Nothing much Gabriel but we need a rough report on your mission to date." Gabriel could just about pick up people talking in the background of Lyle's end of the radio transmission but couldn't specifically pick anything out beyond the calm tones.

"Nothing much to report Lyle, the captives are free, Stryker should be neutralised but someone will have to keep an eye on that situation and Mystique has been incarcerated in Area 51." There was a pause on the other end from Lyle but Gabe heard someone talking low and fast.

"Could you repeat that last part Shift?" Lyle asked.

"Mystique is a guest of Area 51." He said simply. "And if you want me to get her out again, it'll cost you." He added meaningfully.

"That won't be necessary Shift, Fury has been informed of your success and will contact you personally in five hours, until then stick to the X-men." Lyle answered him.

"What about the Brotherhood?" He asked quietly, Glancing Lance and Fred's way as he did.

"What about them?" Lyle asked dispassionately.

"There going to need protection too Lyle." Gabe couldn't keep the surprise from his voice.

"Not our problem Shift, Fury's orders are to protect the X-men." Lyle repeated calmly.

"We can't just ignore them Lyle." Gabriel pointed out, he wasn't worried about anyone but Wanda, while his protection over her was technically finished the second she busted out of the Asylum, he still felt…not _responsible_ for her as such but definitely culpable.

"I'll consult my superiors over this Shift, Stand by." Gabe's radio squawked once more as it cut off, Gabe settled back and drifted off to sleep.

Stryker marched into the cold steel room that the X-men had escaped through; inside was a fully armed riot team surrounding a blue-skinned mutant woman.

"Who are you?" he asked, Mystique kept silent, fists raised, ready for a fight. "Answer me mutant!" he spat. Nothing. Stryker leaned closer to his aide and whispered his instructions. "Inform the lab that they will have a new specimen to examine, also express to him that due to a malfunction with the guards stun batons the specimen had to be subdued with physical force." The guard sergeant gave Stryker a quizzical look and then seeing Stryker's face he switched off his stun baton and then said to his squad.

"Get her boys." As one, the squad flicked off their batons and advanced on Mystique, the now dead, but still hefty, batons ready to swing down on their captive.

Logan landed the Velocity roughly a mile from where Gabriel first met the

X-men; from there they hiked to the cliff edge where Wanda and Todd were waiting for them. Gabriel placed a hand on Logan's shoulder.

"I'll take it from here Wolverine." The X-man growled but nodded, Gabriel walked into the clearing. "Wanda, Todd, any news?" Both young mutants turned at his voice.

"Where's Mystique?" Wanda asked him, Gabriel watched her carefully as he answered.

"She's currently indisposed Wanda, she probably won't be coming back either." He couldn't tell if she recognised him, _maybe_ he thought _it's better if she didn't, for both of us_.

"What are you talkin' about, yo?" Gabriel looked down beside Wanda to the crouching Toad.

"Avalanche will fill you in on the details. More importantly you guys need to go underground ASAP, here." Gabriel pulled out his PDA and handed it to Wanda. "On it are directions to a small cache of camping gear and food, it should be enough to see the four of you through for at least a fortnight, Go as deep into the woods as you can and stay there till I come and get you." Wanda looked up from the PDA.

"How will you-" She began.

"-Find you? Trust me, I can find any body." He answered her then changing the subject he asked "And Magneto?" he asked her, Wanda's face darkened. "Ah." He kept his eye on her; he could tell exactly what she was thinking. "I know you want to track him down Wanda, to make him pay for locking you up but wait until the heat dies down, hell, I'll help you track the prick but just bide your time." He advised her meaningfully. She looked up at him for second then turned and left, the rest of the Brotherhood followed her; now leaderless Gabe guessed they were now going to follow their strongest member.

Gabriel watched them go before turning back to the X-men who were sorting out their own plans. Gabriel activated his radio.

"Control this is Shift, over." Now that his mission was over, normal radio protocol was in effect.

"We're receiving you Shift, over." Gabriel looked out over the cliff edge and out over the town, he could see the Army's APCs rumbling through the streets from here.

"I've given the Brotherhood the directions to the drop, thanks for that Lyle." Looking out over the town he couldn't figure out what was more upsetting, the fact that there _were_ military personnel treating Bayville like an urban battlefield or the fact that none of the town's occupants were out complaining about it, maybe Fury was wrong, maybe this was more than a knee-jerk reaction.

"Don't worry about it Shift, it _is _coming out of your pay after all." Gabriel smiled.

"Yeah, about that." He said simply.

"Bayville first national, PIN number zero one twenty-six." Lyle replied after a quick pause as he gathered the information "your bank balance is currently twenty thousand, minus the food and gear of course." He added.

"Great. Now, where am I meeting Fury."

"The colonel regrets that he won't be able to meet you until the local problems have died down." Gabriel rolled his eyes. _Problems_.

"So what does Patch want me to do in the meantime?" he asked impatiently, he had a foreboding feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Same as before Shift: stick by the X-men." Gabriel looked back at the group, they seemed to have made up their mind about what to do.

"Fine Control, Shift out." He shut the radio down and pulled out the earpiece and wrapped it around the receiver. He walked over to the X-men, who were all looking out over Bayville. "So what are we doing now?" he asked. From the look Wolverine he must have asked if any of them had shat themselves.

"What makes you think you're going anywhere with us, bub?" he asked. Gabriel crossed his arms in defiance.

"Just me and my boss. Besides, you could probably use the help." Wolverine scowled.

"We'll be just fine by ourselves, thanks." He said and shouldered his way past Gabriel and back towards the Velocity. Kitty and Kurt stopped next to him.

"You've already like, done enough Shift. We can look after ourselves." They started to walk on, Gabriel soon caught up to them.

"This isn't about doing enough, I have a job to do and it entails sticking as close to you X-men as I'm able, so I'm coming along no matter what captain cutlery there says." He said as they walked. "And you know what they say about many hands and light work." Beast looked back at the British agent.

"How about many chefs and broth?" he pointed out. "It seems you and Logan will be butting heads every chance you get." Gabriel shrugged.

"I'm not here to take charge, I'm just here to make sure you guys survive." He pushed aside a branch for Kitty to pass under. "As far as I'm concerned, if Wolverine wants a barney he'll get one." Hank gave him a reproachful look.

"That's not the attitude to have, Shift." He remarked.

"No, it isn't but it's the attitude I have." They had arrived at the Velocity once again. They filed aboard; Gabriel gripped the sides of the hatch and was about to pull himself in when Wolverine planted a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"I told you to leave."

"Yet here I am, Logan."

"That's Wolverine to you spook."

"And that's Shift to you…Wolverine."

"Just let me ask you a question, Shift." Wolverine said after a pause.

"Sure you don't want to hold me over a chasm as you ask it?" Gabe asked with a smile.

"Where _do_ your loyalties lie Shift? Who do you _really_ work for?" Gabriel looked Wolverine in the face, Gabriel had admittedly written him off as a mindless brawler, mainly because of all the stories about WWII and Vietnam but he could see that Logan either knew or just guessed the truth of Gabriel's presence.

"My loyalties, as always, are to myself." He could tell it wasn't the answer Logan was hoping for. " I'll admit, I'm about as trustworthy as a politician but just remember, I'm on retainer to Fury and he's told me to stick by the X-men. I'm pretty sure you know Fury better than I do, he's not a man I would cross lightly, or at all." This seemed to satisfy the X-man. He released the pressure on Gabriel's chest and helped him in.

"I have one rule spook, no guns." Gabriel nodded quietly but he wasn't happy about it. "You can keep the blades, just drop the ordinance in one of the storage lockers in the back, it'll be safe there." Gabe nodded again then went back into his corner to stow his gear. The hold shuddered as the Velocity took off.

"So what's the plan chief, what now?" he asked Logan.

"We go to ground while Ororo and Hank try to talk some sense into the people in charge. Gabriel sighed.

"That won't be easy." He mused.

"You're right there spook, but these things never are."


	6. Routing Out

**Author's notes: **I suppose it's about time i started answering my reviews.

Crystal Fusion and Lady Shalafa: I'm glad you like it and I hope you keep reading.

Aiyami Sakura: Again, glad you like it and while i'd like to think it's original i've kept pretty close to the series, _so far_.

** Unstable **

**Chapter 5 **

**Routing Out**

Washington DC The streets were still quiet as the sedan stopped just short of the first checkpoint for Capitol Hill. A US marine watched it but didn't approach; content to just stay at his post. Inside the car Gabriel turned in the drivers seat and looked into the back where Ororo and Hank sat quietly.

"I don't like this Ororo, it's too dangerous." Gabriel said flatly, Ororo smiled calmly.

"As you have said for the hundredth time since we left the others." She reminded him, Hank said nothing, Gabe could see he was nervous.

"Well I don't." He countered "And it is." He shifted back around in the seat so he was facing the front once more, after a brief pause he nudged the car forward and stopped the car at the checkpoint. The marine, a Sergeant; marched to the car and leaned down to look at Gabriel.

"Can I help you?" Gabriel leaned across an opened the glove box, he could see the marine stiffen and move his right hand to his hip, most likely to where his sidearm was. Gabriel pulled out a leaf of papers and handed it to the marine.

"I'm transporting two sociology professors to testify at Congress, here are the summons and credentials Sergeant." The marine read the papers, handed them back and then nodded to another guard who raised the gate. Gabriel nosed the car through and followed the signs to the private parking area. He parked the car as close to the furthest door as he legally could then killed the engine.

"Are you sure this will work Gabriel?" Hank asked him, Gabe shifted around again and looked him in the face.

"Hank don't worry, I've worked out all the angles. I'm almost certain this will go off without a hitch." Hank raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"_Almost_ certain?" he asked. Gabe smiled and half shrugged.

"Well I've never actually broken in to a place by driving through the front gate, legitimately." He explained "It feels kind of weird to be honest. I haven't been this dressed up since I was in Paris" He opened his door and got out, he was dressed in a tailored black suit with a white shirt, from a distance he looked like Secret Service, even down to a translucent coiled wire that ran from an earpiece to a small CB radio that hung from his belt at the small of his back.

He walked around to the passenger door nearest the building and opened it, then leaving it he opened the door into the building, he peeked in. It was a private visitor receiving room, an empty one. Gabriel looked back at the car and nodded towards the open door. Hank uncurled his large frame and knuckled quickly into the room, Ororo sidled across the car seat and got out, she walked quickly and was soon inside. Gabriel shut the door and looked around.

"Okay we don't have much time, the channel seven news crew will be here in ten minutes, I better not be here when they do, I can't have my mug plastered over the six o'clock bulletin. Just remember, stick with them and you'll be fine, the guards will think twice before plugging you on national television." He left quickly; Ororo heard the car outside start-up and leave.

"Somehow that doesn't fill me with as much confidence as he probably thought it would." Hank mused.

"That may be but he is right, public relations is just as much a part of the government as motions and bills. A government just can't run without it"

Gabriel drove the car back to the airport and left it in the long-term car park, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would come by and pick it up when he felt like it. Gabriel picked up his things from a locker and headed to the restrooms to get changed into some civvies, after that he was headed back to Bayville where he would hook up with Rogue and Bobby to look for the New Mutants, the way the X-men explained they were the institute's freshmen group, they'd been on the run for a day or so and had most likely gone to ground within the city limit's so Gabriel was going to help the two X-men get past the patrols, it was going to be dangerous but it definitely beat hiding in a cave.

Fury walked silently into the Bayville S.H.I.E.L.D. offices and was introduced to Gabriel's current controller, Lyle Barker.

"Where is he now?" He asked, Lyle didn't answer at first, he beckoned his superior into his office and sat him down in front of a television.

"At the moment we don't know, his tracking beacon has shut off, he's either found it or just taken it off." Lyle turned the T.V. on and used the remote to change the channel. On screen was Congress and before them stood two people; Ororo Munroe and Hank McCoy. "But we do have an idea of where he was an hour or two ago." Fury kept his eyes on the television as he asked his next question, thinking up a new plan as he did.

"Have you confirmed he was there?" Lyle shook his head.

"We got an image of a sedan entering the grounds carrying some quote/unquote "sociology experts" we've got images of Hank McCoy, Ororo Munroe and a second male fitting Gabriel's height and appearance but it's not rock solid evidence. We ran the licence plates, it's one of ours" Lyle answered. "Would you like me to have him come in and reprimand him for almost blowing his cover, sir?" He added.

"No." Fury answered after a moment, "We can use this to our advantage. Track down the agent who loaned him the car and ask him why he did it and then I want to be informed the second Gabriel is back on call." He tapped the T.V. screen and stood up. "It probably won't be till this debacle is over."

"Yes sir."

Gabriel's plane touched down in New York an hour later, he picked up the bag he left in an airport locker then changed back into his uniform and covered it with a long duffel coat he had picked up earlier. He walked quickly to the long-term car park and hunted around, he needed a car. Just then the CB he had re-attached after getting changed blurted through his earpiece, Gabriel strapped on his throat-mike and locked the button into a two-way transmission.

"Shift here." He said quietly as he craned his neck to look over at the next row, nothing.

"Shift, it's Jean. Where are you?" he heard her reply, her tone of voice sparked a shiver of worry down his spine.

"I've just landed in New York, what's wrong?" He asked her. He stopped by a soft-top convertible and pulled out a flick knife.

"How long will it take you to get back to Bayville?" she asked, sidestepping his question. Gabriel walked around to the driver door and peered in and up at the roof, a small LED light made the wire in the leather roof shine, He straightened up and carried on down the row.

"An hour, hour an' a half tops." He answered, "What's wrong?" he asked for the second time.

"The army found us, we had to run for it." She replied after a moments pause. Gabriel stopped walking.

"The army found you, how?" he asked, he and Logan had agreed on the perfect spot, there was no way the army could have just stumbled upon them or even tracked them.

"They jumped Logan and Rogue and followed them." She explained, Gabriel tried to listen to the background noise; there was no sound of gunfire so they were safe.

"Did everyone make it?" He asked; he had to be sure they were _all_ safe.

"Everyone's here but Logan." She answered, "He went off on his own, Cyclops has taken command." Gabriel stopped by an old Ford Escort and leaned down and looked in the window, he smiled; the car had no alarm.

"Good, ask him to drop Rogue and Bobby off at the Bayville Mall, I'll meet them there." He opened his lock pick kit and pulled out a steel punch. He placed the point of the punch on the bottom left of the driver's window, above the lock.

" No can do, Shift" Scott interjected "We've got a situation up here." Gabriel hit the butt of his knife against the steel punch, the sound of shattering glass sounded louder in the night than it should. "The Juggernaught has escaped and he's trying to destroy a dam, we're on our way to stop him and we need every hand on deck." Gabriel unlocked the door from the inside and shrugged off his coat, he draped it over the seat to protect from the glass.

"Do you want me to meet you, give you a an extra pair of hands?" He pulled a screwdriver from his kit and forced it through the key-hole of the starter motor and twisted it, the engine rumbled lazily to life, Gabriel winced, it wasn't the best kept vehicle he had stolen _Should have tried the convertible_.

"No, we'll handle it, just find the kids." Gabriel eased the car out of its bay and drove to the exit, he pulled down the sunscreen and found a time card for the car park; he pulled it out then placed it in the slot and paid for the stay with some money he had pulled from his account.

"You got it Cyclops, good luck. Holler if you do need help." Gabriel nosed out of the parking lot and put his foot down on the accelerator, hitting the speed limit and then going past it.

"Will do." The CB cut out and Gabriel was alone with his thoughts _how in the hell I'm I supposed to find some kids without a place to start?_ He asked himself then it hit him, he did have a place to start his search, but it would mean sneaking into the most heavily guarded place in Bayville, the Xavier institute.

Wolverine goosed the throttle on his bike, drawing as much speed from the machine as he could. Now that he was on his own again he needed to figure out what to do, the best bet would be to find the kids but he was too recognisable; he needed to change his uniform, and he knew just where to get one.

Gabriel parked the stolen Escort a mile from the Institute and walked the rest of the way; he was roughly a quarter of mile from the mansion when he came across a familiar looking motorcycle. He looked around but he couldn't see any obvious signs of Wolverine's passing but looking down, he could see footprints in the dirt; leading towards the mansion. Gabriel followed the footsteps, certain they would show him an easy way into the grounds of the institute.

When he reached what was left of the wall he saw two bodies sprawled against the red brick on closer inspection they were two military grunts and they were unconscious. He checked the grunts radio frequency and patched his CB onto the same channel then got up and quickly snuck across the grounds to the fountain. The remaining rubble of the Institute was awe inspiring, Gabriel was no explosive but to cause this much destruction it took at least five kilotons.

Checking the markings in the ground was harder than he realised it was going to be, he could make out the markings the Velocity's landing struts. And a few metres away were a load of footprints from different people, all huddled around like they were talking and then ran northwest, then some headed north, the same way a load of wide vehicle tracks headed. Some, roughly five, possibly seven, sets of prints headed into the forest. He looked north, there was a lot of burn damage that way but to the west, Gabriel knelt down and touched the damp ground, it was still fairly cold, and close by were two chemical burn patches, they had to have gone this way.

"So what's your take on this Spook?" Wolverine asked from behind him. Gabriel turned around to look at the mutant, he was wearing a new uniform that seemed to help him blend in with the closing darkness; it was dark blue with yellow tiger stripes across the shoulders, he wasn't wearing a mask.

"Well it suits you better than the orange and black number you wore before." Gabriel said half jokingly. "As for your kids I think they escaped the way we came in, probably why those two grunts were there. I think they headed into town, our best bet is to follow them on foot." Logan shook his head.

"Too slow, what did you use to get here?" He asked and headed towards where he had entered the grounds

"A car, Why?" He said, falling into step behind Logan.

"We need to get into town quickly, no telling what kind of danger they're in." They had reached Logan's bike in good time and passed it without stopping.

"You're the boss, though what if they deviate and head somewhere else?" he asked.

"We'll check out the town just to be sure, then if we don't come up with anything we'll back track." They reached the road; Gabriel took the lead and walked towards town, Logan could make out the car in the distance, and it's open window. "You ripped off a car?" he asked the younger mutant.

"Well I can't go out and rent one, I've got no ID." Gabriel explained, "What else _am_ I supposed to do?" he asked.

"Walk, take a train or bus or taxi." Logan offered. Gabriel opened the driver side door and got in, he leaned across and unlocked the passenger door and Logan got in and eyed the inside of the car.

"Walk, from New York City? And trains and taxi's are just too unreliable; besides, the person who owns this car has to have pretty good insurance, look in the glove box." Logan opened the glove box and looked inside, there were several items of jewellery, pure gold by the look and smell of them. "Only too kinds of people leave expensive jewellery in a car, the extremely rich-"

"-Or a thief." Logan finished, and judging by the car it isn't owned by the same person as the jewels." Gabriel turned the engine on and pulled out into the road and quickly hit the speed limit. "Did you know what kind of person owned this car before you stole it?" Logan asked him as he rolled down the window and sniffed the passing air, nothing. Gabriel gave him a sidelong glance and thought about the answer.

"In all honesty, no I didn't, but when you have a family car as old as this looking as _clean_ as this one, disregarding the broken glass of course, it does ring some bells don't you think?" Logan agreed, they rode the rest of the way in silence. They reached the town limits when Logan asked his next question.

"How heavy are the army patrols in town?" Gabriel stopped the car at the first crossroads and waited for the APC to rumble past.

"I wouldn't have a freakin' clue, Wolverine. I took as wide a journey as time and road would let me, I didn't want to risk getting stopped by the grunts." Gabriel released the clutch and they were once again in motion. They didn't talk for a few moments. Gabriel kept his eyes on the road and Logan kept his nose out the window; he didn't smell anything but the usual city smells and then…

"Stop!" He told Gabriel, who slammed down on the brake.

"You got 'em?" he asked. Logan nodded and pointed down a nearby alleyway on Gabriel's side. "Then let's go." He opened his door and grabbed his coat. Wolverine got out and met up with him. They approached the alley cautiously, they didn't know what to expect. Logan signalled to Gabriel to approach from the left, he nodded and half ran, half crawled into position. Logan, who took the opposite side of the alley-mouth inched his head around the corner to get a better view, seeing nothing he gave Gabriel the signal to move in. Anyone looking out of the alley would have only seen the straight lines of the alley walls distort slightly for a couple of seconds and then nothing.

Keeping their backs close to the alley walls Logan and Gabriel continued slowly down the tight enclosure, checking everywhere for the kids and for danger, the silence of the alley were randomly punctuated with the sound of Logan sniffing. They continued for five minutes until Logan noticed something.

"Wait" he whispered, Gabriel rose from his crouch and, looking up and down the alley, wandered into the middle of the alley, Logan walked across to meet him. "Their scents gone, we've passed them." He explained, Gabriel looked around him; the alley was like a canyon; no fire escape, no offshoots, no windows below the second story and only one door, fenced and bolted.

"That doesn't make sense Logan, no one could have got past us here, it's too narrow." Logan shook his head.

"All the same, we passed them bub." Logan took a step back towards the mouth of the alley, just then they heard the rumble of a large vehicle passing the alley, they turned and looked; it was an APC. It grumbled to a halt as it came alongside the purloined Escort. "Aw hell" Logan breathed. The hatch at the back folded open and three soldiers marched out and checked over the vehicle, one pressed his hand on the bonnet then said something quietly into his radio, seconds later a floodlight on top of the APC was turned on and trained on the car. Gabriel took a step forwards and looked back at Logan.

"So, are we stopping them?" Logan didn't answer immediately, he was thinking back on what Cyclops had told him in the cave hours ago; they were just men doing a job, they didn't deserve to die. After a pause Logan made up his mind.

"No, leave them be." He answered; Gabriel nodded and continued to watch the military detachment that was searching through the car. Gabe watched the soldier who was in control of the searchlight twist it around and search the street, if he didn't stop he would…

"Quick, hide!" he whispered and dived behind a metal bin, Logan rushed behind a dumpster across from Gabriel a split-second later. A bright flash played over Gabriel's, now shadowed, hiding spot and then moved across the alley and illuminated the dumpster, momentarily hiding Wolverine in a deeper shadow. After a couple of seconds the light disappeared and the APC rumbled into life and the noise of the engine faded away.

Both mutants stood up and walked out of their respective hiding places and met up again in the middle of the alley. "This seems to be a point on the APCs patrol route, could be the kids were caught by them." Gabriel offered but Logan disagreed.

"The kids never left the alley and besides, I _know_ where they went." Logan said.

"Oh really? Where?" Gabriel asked, incredulously. A soft metallic thumping answered him, Gabriel looked down and smiled. Logan was stamping his foot down on a manhole cover, the New Mutants had gone mole.

In the sewers underneath Bayville the New Mutants sat around a heater conversing with their hosts, the Morlocks. Standing apart from the group, Caliban and Callisto were in a muted discussion over what to do with their guest.

"We need to get rid of them, and quickly, they don't belong down here with us." Callisto argued; she was worried about the precious little security they already had falling before the army.

"But they are fellow mutants." Caliban countered "And they were in trouble, what kind of people would we be if we didn't help our fellow brethren in their hour of need?" he asked in his sibilant hiss.

"Brethren! They belong up there with the other topsiders." Caliban was about to reply when he looked up sharply. "Caliban, what's wrong?"

"Two mutants have entered our territory from the north, I can't tell who they are their signatures are scramble somehow." Callisto nodded to Façade and Scaleface and beckoned them over.

"We've got two intruders in the north tunnels, deal with them." Without a word Façade melted into the wall and Scaleface ran out of the room, Callisto saw the hint of a tail rounding the corner.

"Where are those two going?" Tabitha asked from behind Callisto. The Morlock leader turned and answered her calmly.

"Just to deal with a problem Boom-Boom."

Wolverine and Shift forced their way against the force of the murky water in the dark, following the New Mutants scent. Gabriel kept two steps behind Logan, letting him and his nose lead them both while silently wondering just how Wolverine could separate their smell from the effluence that swirled around his legs. After a minute Wolverine stopped and sniffed around.

"They ran into someone here and then followed him." He said after getting his bearings.

"Who?" Gabriel opened his lock pick kit and pulled his mag-lite from its band and flicked it on and swept the area, nothing.

"I can' tell, the scent's mixed in with the sewer." He sniffed some more "Let's move." They started trudging through the sewers once more "And turn that damn light off." The tunnel was immediately bathed in darkness.

Three corners ahead, Façade and Scaleface waited in silence, listening to the two intruders as they quietly talked.

"So when we find the kids, how are we going to get them out of town without the army bearing down on us?" Trader blended into the wall and quickly stole down the sewer to pass his target.

"You're the spook, you figure it out." Scaleface growled in the dark, preparing to ambush the two.

"Freelance Operative." She could smell them now, one smelt familiar, smelt feral, he had been traipsing through the Morlocks territory before, briefly, but the other was unknown to her, his scent crept up her nose and lingered, it was bad, it made her want to turn around and run, she ignored the impulse but she could still feel it, niggling away at the animal part of her mind.

"Yeah whatever, same difference." The feral one answered his companion, they rounded another corner, they were only one cross-section away now.

"Same difference, my arse." They stopped at the cross-section a hundred yards from Scaleface. Which way?" Scaleface started to creep forward.

Gabriel waited for Logan to finish sniffing around and answer him. He looked around the cross junction, ahead and left the water thinned out into a trickle, Gabe didn't want to think about why. The right-hand fork widened out slightly, enough for raised areas for the workers to walk on. Gabriel frowned, there was something down there, he turned on his mag-lite once more and pointed it down the tunnel.

"We head straight down the middle." Logan finally said and started to head off when another scent reached him, he turned and looked at the wall. Gabriel squinted, the light was showing something moving and he could see green scales, red eyes and large claws. "Spook?" He heard Logan say.

"Wolverine." Gabriel answered without taking his eyes off the approaching mutant.

"We've just walked right into an ambush."

"What was your first clue?" Logan and Gabriel moved closer together until they were back to back. Gabriel flipped the torch and threw it at the giant lizard and dodged towards the wall, he was under no illusions that the small piece of steel would do anything to his opponents hide. "Logan, move!" the last thing Gabriel saw before hitting the water was a large mouth filled with lots of _big_, sharp teeth.


	7. Regrouping

**Unstable**

**Chapter 6**

**Regrouping**

"So, do you remember the plan?" Two men in black suits conversed in hushed tones in a quiet room down the hall from the congressional hearings.

"Yes, quit worrying about it and hand me the piece." The first suit leaned in and handed the second something, if anyone had been watching all they would have seen was a flash of steel-grey metal.

"Wait outside 'till they leave and then finish them." They left the room.

"_I_ _know_."

Gabriel dived out of the way of the incoming jaws and landed in the fetid water, he pulled himself above the water line in time to see Logan get trapped in the monsters jaws. He pulled himself up to his feet and spat out what little water had entered his mouth.

Gabriel was finding it hard to focus, he could only see one opponent but he felt there where two. He shrugged off the feeling; unsheathed two of his knifes and jumped onto the back of the monster. Out of no where he was jumped, the pressure on his back forced him down onto the spine of the beast, he squirmed around and grabbed his attackers incoming fist, dropping one of his knifes in the process. He flipped his other knife around so he was holding it with the blade in an underhand position and stabbed at his opponent, who grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

Logan could feel the teeth bite into his skin and scrape against his adamantium laced skeleton. The jaws immediately dropped him into the water. He turned around and popped his claws, he growled out a challenge and jumped at the monster. He landed on the top of its snout and ran down its spine it was there that he saw Gabriel, struggling with another mutant. Logan grabbed the other mutant and threw him off of Gabriel; the beast bucked them all off into the water.

They stood up once again and glanced at each other then at their opponents, they had hung back, waiting for the X-man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to make their move.

"Which one do you want?" Gabriel asked, keeping his voice and body language casual even though he was finding it hard to breathe.

"I'll take the ugly one." He answered him; Gabriel looked between the two and looked confused.

"Which one's the ugly one?" Gabriel moved his boot around in the water until it came into contact with his discarded knife _Excellent_. He played with it until he got it into position over the toe of his boot. "Do you mean the big Lake Placid reject or her pixie companion?" Logan cracked his knuckles and growled.

"The big one." He answered then rushed forward. Gabriel hung back and watched his target; the mutant backed away as Logan and the lizard thing closed in on each other and disappeared into the wall. His original plan now redundant, Gabriel left the knife where it was and sidestepped to his left until he was directly in the middle of the sewer. He tensed up as he looked around, a glance in Logan's direction confirmed the Canadian was alive and kickin' but the little bastard was nowhere to be seen.

Someone kicked him in the small of his back, sending him in to the water again for the third time in as many minutes. He got back to his feet again, coughing and spluttering, with a dark look in his eyes; someone was going to get a beating for this.

He turned around and saw nothing behind him, perplexed he turned back and got a fist in his stomach for his troubles. He doubled over, keeping a hold on his opponents fist; His attacker brought his other fist down on Gabriel's back, forcing him to his knees. Gabriel hooked his free hand around one of the mutant's legs and pulled him over and into the water. Without releasing his opponent's hand, Gabriel stood up and grabbed the mutant by his clothes and hauled him to his feet and threw him bodily against the wall, he ran in close and planted his foot into his stomach to stop his recovery and grabbed him again, Gabriel twisted the sewer mutant's arm around his back and unsheathed a knife, pressing it against his throat.

"Hey Fugly!" he called out, the 'gator thing looked up as it batted away Wolverine for the umpteenth time. It growled as it took in the scene and took one claw-laden step forward. "Uh-uh-uh, one more step and the pixie here gets an extra breathing hole." He warned. The monster seemed to understand and powered down, it shrank and regained a human form, a female human form. "Well I'll be." Gabriel mused. "Wolverine, would you do the honours?" Logan backhanded the mutant hard across her head, knocking her out. Gabriel jabbed his thumb into the cleft at the base of his captive's skull, a pressure point that would knock him out quickly and painlessly, and propped his unconscious form against the wall to stop him drowning, Logan placed the woman beside him. Logan and Gabriel carried on walking down the sewer, this time they were walking slowly, watching out for any more ambushes.

"So should we change the plan and follow their scents?" Gabriel asked Logan, motioning to the two unconscious bodies

"That's probably the best bet." Logan answered and sniffed. "We go left." Without a word further Gabriel headed left.

"There still coming." Caliban informed Callisto, Who went to find Eve, she found her talking quietly with Berzerker.

"Eve." Callisto called, Eve turned around at the sound of her name being called and caught the look in Callisto's eye. She excused her self from Ray and walked over to Callisto. "We've got two people coming this way, they've already taken care of Façade and Scaleface, let's go." They left quickly; heading down the same tunnel Scaleface had minutes earlier.

I don't know about you Wolverine but I'm really beginning to hate this place." Gabe remarked.

"Gabe, shut up. How in the hell are we supposed to sneak around this place if you keep talking?"

"I don't know if it escaped your notice but we were _ambushed_, that means the enemy knows we are here, why sneak around? It's only going to waste time and energy." Gabriel stopped at a T-junction and looked questioningly at Logan, who pointed right. Gabriel took point, which was why he was first to get electrocuted, he was out in seconds, before Logan could react he was hit by a burst of electricity and was blasted back a few feet and hit the water hard, he slowly got up again and was hit with another bolt of lightning, he collapsed into the water and didn't get up again

The two suits didn't dare go anywhere near the hearing room, there was too much press, the danger of their faces getting plastered over every T.V. in the world would be just too high. Instead they prowled the halls, wasting time until they would proceed with the job. The second suit was talking quietly when he accidentally bumped into a woman in a dark blue suit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am." He apologised and grabbed her shoulder to steady her.

"No, I apologise, I should have been watching where I was going." She got herself balanced again and carried on walking. The two suits carried on their way. The woman smiled and pulled out her cell phone. "I've put the tracker on one of them." She informed the unknown person on the other end the second they picked up the phone. She had secretly attached the small bug to the underside of the suspects arm when he grabbed her.

"Okay, keep track of them, if they go ahead with the job you know what to do." She did know what to do, the weight of the gun she had been given for that end was a heavy reminder on her hip.

"Yes sir."

The first thing Gabriel felt on waking up was pain, his head was pounding and he couldn't tell whether it was from the blast that knocked him out or a psychic invasion of his mind. He did a mental checklist of his head and body and, finding nothing wrong, he concluded it was from the electricity bolt that had knocked him out. He then opened his eyes and checked his surroundings.

He could see that he was still in the sewers; the bricks had a stained green look about them and the smell was still around but less prominent. Gabriel lifted his head slowly and looked around the room properly; there were several beds and a person at the other end of the room working at a sink, he couldn't see Logan or anyone else in the room.

He got off the bed quietly and padded lightly across the room towards the figure, feeling around his various pouches for a knife, finding none. He slowed down as he got close to the person, waiting for the perfect moment to launch an attack.

Logan had woken up an hour earlier and had spent the last fifty minutes being filled in on the new mutant's exploits since almost being captured by the army two days ago, the last ten had been spent clearing up the Morlocks misidentification.

"We don't know what went wrong Logan." Ray Crisp began "Caliban's infallible, he knows where every mutant alive is."

"He found us in minutes." Tabitha added. Logan didn't say anything for a moment, he just wanted to get out of the sewers; the smell was driving him crazy.

"We'll head up to the surface again once Gabriel has woken up, we need to link back up with the X-men." A couple of the younger mutants looked absently over towards the medical area of the Morlock compound where the British agent had been left to recover.

"Who is he?" Tabitha asked Logan. "I didn't recognise him when they pulled him through."

"He's none of your concern Boom-Boom." A panicked cry cut off Tabitha's rebuttal, it came from the medical area, shortly followed by an old mutant being propelled by Gabriel who had him by the throat. The Morlocks surrounded him quickly, Gabriel pulled the mutant up and wrapped one arm tighter around his neck and placed the other on the base of his hostage's skull.

"One move and I snap the old timer's neck like a twig." The Morlocks took a step back. "That's better, now, I'm looking for several young mutants, they haven't been down here long so they probably still smell faintly of soap, I'm sure you've heard of it in passing. I'm also looking for a bad tempered Canadian, carries a set of steak knifes in each hand, you can't miss him." Logan pushed his way through the crowd and into Gabriel's vision, the next moment was tense as Gabe quickly realised his mistake. "…Ah" he said quietly and released the old mutant slowly and carefully. He looked around at the Morlocks and there stony faces. "I don't suppose you'll accept my sincerest apologies?" he tried with a warm smile, it didn't do much good.

Logan, Gabriel and the new mutants were ushered back to the manhole cover within ten minutes, the Morlocks wanted rid of them fast.

Gabriel kept watch while Logan helped the kids out of the manhole; he turned around when Callisto began to speak.

"Recent news casts say that the army have scaled back their patrols by half." Gabriel activated his CB and waited for its encryption software to handshake with the NORAD ComNet. "This is the best time to get out of the city so do so."

"Any news from Congress?" Gabriel asked her; still hearing only clicks and hisses. Callisto gave him a long look. "That bad huh?"

"Good luck." She offered and then disappeared down into the sewers, leaving Logan, Gabriel and the kids in the quiet alley. Tabitha spoke first.

"So, what now?" Gabriel answered, keeping his eyes on the alley mouth, waiting.

"First things first, we're going to need transport for ten." In the distance he could just about hear the grumble of the APC doing its rounds. "And I have just the thing in mind, you kids stay here and hide, Logan, could you come with me please?" Gabriel walked casually out of the alley and back to his abandoned car; he picked up his coat, shook off the glass and put it on. He checked his pockets and was relieved to find everything in their pockets where left them. "Okay, here's the plan, I stop the APC." Gabriel's earpiece popped as the two-encryption keys connected. "And you attempt to steal it." The APC turned the corner before Logan or Gabriel could sort out any details.

Agent Barker was sat in his office in front of his computer searching through every file SHIELD had on Gabriel, the Outfit and the X-men. It was an extensive library, most of it was detailed files on each and every mutant and mutate involved in both teams.

"Agent Barker you have a call from Cheyenne on line one, sir." His PA piped through the intercom, Lyle picked up his phone and hit the receive button.

"New York SHIELD office." He answered, then listened to the general on the other end berate him about his operatives using military communications gear without the proper clearance.

"I do apologise, general. If you give me the frequency he is using, I'll reprimand him myself." The frequency turned up on his computer screen then was sent back through SHIELD's own access within the NORAD ComNet and connected with the operative's radio. A few words from the operative was all Lyle needed to know who it was, he fished out the number Fury had given him to call once Gabriel had reconnected with him and began to dial.

"So much for that plan." Logan muttered and Gabriel nodded his agreement, mind racing for a new strategy. Logan caught the look on Gabriel's face. "Strategies never survive first contact with the enemy Gabriel." He said quietly.

"I know that!" Gabriel snapped and took his eyes off of the approaching threat and down the alley; if he looked carefully he could see a couple of the kids. A small argument started up inside his head; do his duty to the kids or his boss. He sighed.

"We're gonna have to rush them." He heard Logan say, Gabriel sighed again; Fury was going to have his head mounted in his office once this day's work was done.

"Just say the word." Gabriel said, wishing he had his tazer on him, it was the only non-lethal weapon in his possession, but since he didn't he'd just have to nurse the bruises he was surely going to get. Both of them watched the APC gather speed and head straight for them, neither Logan nor Gabriel moved. The military vehicle got within ten feet of them and skidded to a halt, veering off to the left, the top hatch opened up and a grunt manned, what looked to Gabriel like, an M60 machine gun, and pointed it in their general direction, the rear hatch dropped down and seven infantrymen ran out, filed into a line and raised their rifles, Gabriel had only seen weapons like the ones pointed at him once before, in Area 51.

Out of the back of the APC a lone figure marched down and took position by the rest of the grunts, his uniform placed him in the officer class, possibly a lieutenant. Behind him the ramp closed shut.

"Stay where you are you freaks." He barked. Gabriel leaned a little closer to Wolverine.

"I think he's talking to you." He said out of the side of his mouth. He straightened up and ignored the low growling coming from his left. He slowly lifted his right hand and put it inside his coat, reaching for his ID. The lieutenant mistook it as him reaching for a weapon and un-holstered his pistol in a quick draw and fired.

A small dart magically sprouted from Gabriel's left side, he and Logan looked at the offending projectile for a second, it took that long for Gabriel to let go of the billfold and grab the dart. He pulled it out of his coat, feeling the SHIELD ID drop onto his boot, and threw it at the grunt on the machine gun; it imbedded in the GI's neck and knocked him out in seconds. The next few seconds passed slowly as everything kicked off, Logan charged forward and leapt at the nearest soldier who, along with his squad, had flicked the safety's off of their rifles and fired a salvo at their targets which missed them, Gabriel ducked the shots, straightened up and kicked his ID up into his waiting hand. He pulled the metal SHIELD badge out of its moorings and threw it at the lieutenant; the edge bit into his hand and knocked his aim. Gabriel rushed forward and punched the Lt in the gut then spinning back round; he planted his elbow into the nearest grunts face, smashing his nose and forcing him to the floor.

Logan used his weight and the momentum of his leap to push over the first infantryman, grabbed the nearest two and pulling them down with him. He jumped up and over the last three and turned on them quickly, popping his claws and cutting through all three rifle barrels at once. The grunts dropped the remains of their weapons and backed away, the soldiers on the ground hauled themselves to their feet, dropping their rifles n the ground and raising their arms above their head. Gabriel, seeing that the fight was over, climbed over the Lieutenant and up the side of the APC. He pulled the gunner out of the top hatch and let him fall on top of the groaning officer. He poked his head in and looked around the cramped troop bay, it was a spartan area with two thin padded benches running up either side of the bay, he twisted around in the hatch and peered into the crew pit, he could just about see someone moving around in the drivers seat. He hauled himself back up and caught Logan's attention. Logan pushed the last of the soldiers into the corner made by the stolen Escort and a parked sedan.

"We've got one more inside, do you want me to politely ask him if we can borrow his APC or do you want to do it?" Logan broke the last of the dart-rifles before answering the agent.

"You go talk to him, I'll call the kids over." Gabriel dropped down into the troop bay of the APC and poked his head through into the crew pit. The driver hadn't noticed him, he was busy listening to the NORAD ComNet, Gabriel recognised some of the barrage of acronyms and call signs but was confused with the usage.

Gabriel considered talking to the pilot, to get him to cooperate and give up the APC without violence but he had once heard that tank pilots were just as possessive as fighter pilots, if so, this guy wouldn't go down without a fight.

Gabriel grabbed the pilot by the shoulder and threw him into the troop bay ad stood over him, he grabbed the pilots sidearm and wrenched it from its holster and pointed it at his captive. Gabriel quickly patted the pilot down; satisfied that the pilot had nothing dangerous on him he shot the pilot with his own tranq-gun. Gabriel left the pilot by the door and entered the crew pit, for the class of vehicle it was pretty roomy; there was ample space for two people; pilot and Communications/Command chairs on the left hand and right hand, respectively, on either side of the aisle that led back into the rear. Gabriel leaned over the Com chair and flicked the switch marked 'OPEN/CLOSE REAR RAMP' then eased himself into the pilot chair. He looked down at the two joysticks and frowned, the set up was vaguely similar to the Challenger II tank he had been given hasty driving lessons in but with one big difference; the Challenger was a caterpillar tracked vehicle so each joystick controlled the speed of a separate track while this APC was 8 wheeled and the one 'stick controlled speed and the other was cornering, coupled with the bank of switches and buttons that did various things Gabriel ached to try and the two foot pedals that Gabriel guessed controlled the brakes.

Gabriel heard footfalls on the steel meshing of the troop bay; he leaned over into the central aisle and shouted back into the rear.

"Toss the guy out then get belted in." He scanned the rows of buttons and switches till he found the start button, he pressed it and the APC thundered into life. Several problems reared their head immediately, first, there was no way Gabriel could see where he was driving, there was no window.

"Who said you were driving?" Logan asked him as he entered the crew pit

"Me." Gabriel flipped a couple of switches. "Besides, I couldn't see where I was going anyway, there's no windscreen." Logan, who had taken the Com chair, picked up the helmet that was resting on the communication panel and looked inside.

"That's because it's in the helmet." He passed it along to Gabriel who took it and looked in it as well, He could make out the Escort but it, and the rest of the camera view were coloured in a washed out NV grey. He passed the helmet back to Logan and got out of the chair and headed into the back, Logan had already reopened the ramp. Gabriel walked over to the unconscious pilot and pulled the helmet off of him and got back into the APC. He settled once more into the pilots chair and pulled the helmet over his head; the view he got of the outside was in colour but slightly dulled, a small in-view menu told Gabe he also had NV, IR, X-Ray and interior cameras to flick through, as Gabriel scanned the drop down menu he noticed a small pointer moved also_ cool_ he thought. He turned to look at Logan and the exterior cam swivelled to follow his eye line _really cool_ he thought.

"This things got some sweet tech in it that's for sure." He remarked, he heard Logan agree, both from next to him and through the Com system. "You ready to leave yet or do you want more time to get used to the systems?" he asked.

"Let's go, I'll pick things up as we go." Gabriel heard the ramp close for one last time and flicked his view to the troop bay camera. "Strap yourselves in kids." He heard Logan say, "This might get interesting."

"What's wrong?" Gabriel asked as he go a comfortable grip on the 'sticks "Don't you trust me?"

"Have you ever driven one of these before?" Logan asked him; it was a little unsettling for both of them the way you couldn't really see who you were talking to.

"Driven one? I've never even seen one of these things before, but it's basically a de-fanged Bradley tank, right? So it shouldn't be that hard." Gabriel pushed the left 'stick forward to start the APC moving forward, everything went well for about three seconds, then the tank kicked up in the air and lurched to the right, Gabriel heard exclaimed cries from the troop bay.

"Smooth Shift" he heard Logan say, smugness thick in his voice, the APCs raised wheels thumped back onto the blacktop "_Real_ smooth." Gabriel had just run over and crushed the stolen Escort. Gabriel and Logan turned around, both of their cameras turning to view the wreckage. One side of the car had been completely crushed by the APC, Gabriel looked around and found that the infantry had run to the opposite side of the road.

"So it's going to take some getting used to." Gabriel pushed the throttle up and the APC continued up the street.

Colonel Nicholas Fury stepped out of his chopper and out onto the tarmac of the Congress' car park and walked through the main entrance without stopping, the marines on guard duty snapped to attention and saluted as he passed. He took out his cell phone and hit the speed dial for the New York office; it rang a couple of times before Lyle picked it up.

"New York SHIELD offices, Agent Barker speaking."

"Has Shift reported back in yet?" Fury asked, he passed several more guards and turned left towards the hearing room.

"He has reconnected to the NORAD ComNet but he hasn't made any attempt to make contact, sir." Fury stopped in the annex of the hearing room and waited for the call to enter.

"Contact him and ask for an update, don't ask what he's been up to and don't accuse him of anything. I want him to think his trip to Washington is still unknown to us."

"Yes, sir." Lyle hung up then accessed his computer, ordering it to connect with NORAD then, once it had, he activated his personal access to the ComNet and pulled up all the frequencies that had been in use by Gabriel and contacted them all at once. "Operative Shift, this is agent Barker, please respond." He said into the microphone attached to his computer.

"Lyle?" Gabriel asked, Lyle could just about hear him over a rumbling sound coming from Gabriel's end of the conversation.

"Yes Shift. I need you to give me a report."

"Not now Barker, I'm busy." The line cut out.

Gabriel shut down his CB and took it off; he yanked at it, not bothering to disconnect anything.

"I swear, that guy's getting annoying." He mused "No doubt I'll be hearing about this from Fury." Logan didn't say anything for a moment; Jean had been in contact with him, filling him in on everything that had happened with the Juggernaught.

"I'm laying in a course for you to follow, Shift. We're meeting up with the X-men there." Gabriel watched as a map of green lines appeared in the top left corner of his HUD and a red line drew itself over them.

"Right I've got it." He chopped back on the throttle, moved the right 'stick left and slammed down on the left foot brake causing the APC to thunder round a left bend. "Any news?" he asked Logan.

"Yeah, they know where Chuck is."

"Alright." Gabe said with a smile on his lips. "Where is he?"

"Stokes County Penitentiary." Gabriel remained quiet, ploughing around the next corner and out of the city.


	8. downtime

**Unstable**

**Chapter 7**

**DownTime**

_Three Days Later_

Gabriel sat in the hazy silence of the bar and brooded, three days had passed since he'd completed his mission for Fury and been stood down. Three days since he'd left the X-men to pick up their own lives and sort out their own problems. Three days of doing nothing, nada, zilch, sod all, sweet FA. He was no longer in uniform, the techs had taken it back to improve it, along with all his gear, so at the moment he was in beige BDU trousers and a plain blue shirt, with only a duffel coat for warmth, he didn't really mind, he just felt a little…naked out of uniform.

_Two Days Ago_

"I'm suspending you from active duty Gabriel, pending an investigation into your actions over the last few days." Fury told Gabriel, they were in the Bayville office where Gabriel had originally come to give his report but instead got the third degree from not just Fury but Carter, Woo _and_ Lyle.

"What?!" Gabriel asked his employer "Why?"

"You abandoned your post, twice." Fury started "You attacked several US army and US marine personnel, causing a large amount of casualties. You stole government property. You illegally entered a high security building and smuggled two unauthorised civilians into said building while martial law was declared." He finished, he tossed a folder to Gabriel "By rights I should strike you from the payroll, but you and I both know that you'd just go find work elsewhere so I'm placing you on standby for the minimum of three months, you're in downtime." Gabriel picked up the folder and read through it, he was surprised, they had managed to catch him sneaking Hank and Ororo into congress and had CCTV footage of him stealing an APC. He dropped the file back onto Fury's desk.

"What's to stop me from pursuing work while I'm suspended?" he asked. Fury looked nonplussed.

"Your contract states that while you are on the United States government's payroll you are, in effect, on retainer." He informed Gabriel with a smug look that Gabriel had an overwhelming urge to punch. "That means you work for us and us alone."

"I never signed any contract, we only had a gentleman's agreement and that's it." Fury threw another folder across the desk and Gabriel picked that up and read it, it was a contract with his signature plainly on the dotted line, he didn't need to read the whole document. "You got me to sign this when I was drugged, didn't you?"

"No, you were as sane and as lucid as I am when you signed that contract." Fury answered.

"That's debatable Fury." Gabriel said and stood up, tossing the contract onto the desk. Fury then placed a large bulging brown envelope on the desk and pushed it over to Gabriel. He picked it up and upended the contents onto the desk, the envelope had been filled with several items; his wallet with one lone bankcard and a drivers licence, a multi-tool, a pocket sized version of his lock-picking kit, a cell phone, a watch and a non-descript flat ovoid shaped metallic object roughly the size of his hand. Gabriel stuffed them all into various pockets then headed for the door.

"Where are you going Gabriel?"

"You said it yourself, I'm on leave. I'm going to do what every self respecting British soldier does on leave." He opened the door and saw Carter and Woo at their temporary cubicles, pretending not to eavesdrop.

"And that is?"

"Find a pub and drink it dry." He closed the door behind him and left the building silently.

Gabriel's first port of call had been an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district of Bayville where he had hidden the APC, surrounded by enough debris to hide the armoured vehicle completely. He had spent a couple of hours going through the APC's innards to see how it ticked. The vehicles transponder lay on the pilot's chair, detached from the system so the army's computers couldn't pick up the signal and track it to the wharehouse.

His second had been three miles from Bayville, in a heavily forested area where the Brotherhood had hidden themselves, he'd only stayed there long enough to tell them it was okay to come out of hiding and then after a quick recap with Wanda he'd left.

_NOW_

He picked up his pint and took a long gulp, he hated downtime, he had nothing to do. He sighed and continued to drink his beer. A harsh cry next to him prompted him to tip some of his pint into a small plate where Morigan began to lap at the amber liquid.

The room was dark, it closed in on the gunman, he couldn't tell the size of the room or even if he had his eyes open. A scraping noise from behind him knocked him from his reverie.

"Hello?" he asked, uncertainty shaking his voice. "Is anyone there?" He heard footsteps walk around but it was still too dark to see anyone.

"Who was your target?" The voice was female, the gunman could tell that much.

"I don't know what you're talking abou-aargh!" Pain erupted down his back as something sharp scraped down it.

"There is no point bluffing Mr Hardy, we know all about you and your partner, we know you were at the hearing to kill someone and you are going to tell us who and why." Hardy shook his head.

"No." there was a sharp sound and then Hardy felt a stinging pain across his left cheek, _the bitch just whipped me!_ He thought, indignation rising through him. "Do that again and I'll kill you, you cu-ah!" she whipped his other cheek, harder this time.

In a room next door Carter and Woo watched Xi'an interrogate the gunman on an NV television, they both knew that she could easily enter his mind and take the information so why the telepath insisted on physical interrogation was beyond them.

"You catch that wrestling match last night?" Woo asked his partner.

"You mean the Crusher and that Spider-guy?" Carter asked back.

"Spider-_man_." He corrected. A piercing scream buzzed through the speakers, Woo winced.

"Guy, man, who cares? It's all faked anyway." She remarked. Woo shook his head in disagreement.

"You couldn't fake the moves this guy had, he was jumping around like he had springs attached to his shoes." There was a pause as the interrogator grabbed the gunman and head butted him in the face. "I bet I know who she learned that off." Woo remarked.

"Did he?" Carter asked.

"Did who?"

"This Spider-man, _did_ he have springs on his shoes?"

"No, it was all him, no springs, no wires. I heard the Colonel wants to have the guy investigated."

"Do you reckon we'll get the job?" Carter asked after a moment, the interrogation room had gone quiet; Xi'an must have decided to get the answers the easy way.

"You'd know the answer to that question, though if I had to make a guess, I reckon Quatermain will get it, it's right up his street, we only get the crappy assignments." He took a long draw on his coffee and then left the room, leaving Carter to watch the two figures on the screen.

"No, Chuck." Logan said emphatically, both he and Xavier were in the meeting room underneath the rubble of the mansion.

"The boy needs guidance, Logan." Xavier told the Canadian.

"He's got that, he works for SHIELD."

"Do you think that's a good thing, Logan?" Xavier asked him, watching Logan pacing up and down in front of him. "Do you really believe that having a mutant in the hands of SHIELD is good? Gabriel could be an excellent and useful addition to the institute." Logan stopped pacing and looked at Xavier.

"That 'boy' is a killer, Charles, he smells like death and decay. He doesn't have anything approaching a sense of discipline." Logan approached Xavier "He assassinates people for a living." Xavier waited for Logan to calm down; talking about the young Briton was agitating him badly.

"You were once branded a 'killer' Logan, now look at you." Logan didn't say anything. "Everyone deserves a chance and I wish to give Gabriel his. You never know, he may come into his own here."

"Or he may just bring his troubles with him." Logan sighed. "Fine, it's your institute, but if he starts teaching the kids something I don't like, If he says so much as a word out of turn, that's the end of him." Xavier smiled.

"I wasn't inviting Gabriel to be an instructor here Logan, I would like him to learn here." Logan looked back at Xavier, a wolf-like grin on his face.

"How about I go find him and give him the invite?"

Gabriel was in a different bar now, it was around midnight and the only place he could find that would serve him and Morigan was a biker-dive called 'Joe's'. Some of the barflies had attempted to either make small talk or hustle him or ask him about the raven but a long cold look had seen most of them off, all except an over-friendly barmaid, she didn't know that Gabriel knew that the guy at the other end of the bar was her boyfriend or husband; they were obviously running some kind of scam and right know there were only two things he wanted to do; drink and think.

"Another one, hon?" the barmaid asked him, he nodded and looked her over; she was cute, he would admit that; a thin, busty, leggy blonde, but not really his type. He looked at Morigan, who was looking back. He held up the pint; a silent offering. Morigan nodded and Gabriel poured the last of it into a small bowl, where Morigan began to lap it up with as much enjoyment as before. The problem with being psychically linked with someone, Gabe often mused at times like these, was that you felt, after a fashion, what they felt; whether they were angry, happy, sad or drunk. Which was the state that Gabriel felt Morigan was fast approaching. "Here you go sug'" the barmaid said, handing him another full pint glass.

"Thanks, hen." He said and started drinking. A hand slapped him hard on the shoulder, making him spill a small drop of his pint over Morigan, who cawed in surprise and crane her neck to see who had disturbed them, Gabriel turned also; it was the barmaid's boyfriend. Gabriel grabbed a nearby bar towel and gently rubbed the wet patch on Morigan's neck while she projected a feeling of quiet anger back to him. "Can I help you?" he asked the biker.

"Yeah, you can stop looking at my girl." He warned menacingly, Gabriel smiled into his pint; he knew how the script was supposed to go, he was supposed vehemently deny looking at the woman then an argument would ensue and he was supposed to end up insulting both the barmaid and the biker, after that was a mystery but he didn't plan on finding that part out.

"Okay squire, I apologise for looking." He put his pint down and looked the guy directly in the eyes. "How about I buy you a drink?" Gabriel nodded to the barmaid, who came over. "First of all ma'am, I wish to apologise for looking at you in a lewd manner, it's lucky your boyfriend was at the bar and caught me before I did something _very_ wrong. Secondly, a pint of whatever he's having." The woman nodded and walked off. The boyfriend backed away as well, unsure of what had happened. Gabe downed the rest of his pint and left a ten-dollar note under the glass. He stood up; Morigan hopped onto his shoulder, and exited the bar. He crossed the street and leaned against a lamppost. He looked up at Morigan and she stared back. "Oh go on then, but let him keep his eyes, _both_ of them." He relented. With a loud croaking war cry she took flight and winged back towards the bar and through an open window. Seconds later, screams and cries arose from the bar, punctuated by Morigan's caws of excitement and a familiar voice screaming: _Ah! My fingers!_ Morigan's favourite party piece was to peck at people's knuckles and fingernails; Gabriel had had it done to him once and he didn't care to go through it again.

He heard footsteps approaching him but he didn't bother turning, whoever it was wouldn't be there to see him; he didn't know anyone in this town.

"What's happening in there?" he turned at the familiar voice, it was Scott, with Logan close behind him.

"Morigan is teaching some biker red-neck some manners." Neither X-man was in uniform, which helped Gabriel relax in their company.

"Whose Morigan?" Scott asked, on cue a black shape bolted through the open window and landed once again on Gabriel's shoulder.

"This is Morigan." He said, stroking the raven's neck. "Scott, Logan, this is Morigan. Morigan, this is Scott Summers and Logan." The bird took one look at them then, deciding she didn't like what she saw she looked away with an air of disdain.

"Why in the hell do you go around with a bag of feathers on your shoulder?" Logan asked Gabriel, Morigan, much to Gabriel's surprise, hissed in annoyance and gripped tighter on Gabriel's shoulder, making him wince.

"Don't piss her off Logan, I'm the one who gets it in the shoulder." Gabriel said.

"Don't you mean neck?" Scott asked. Gabriel shook his head.

"Nope, definitely the shoulder." He looked up at Morigan and thought to her _Go on, shoo. Go find your dinner or something._ She sent back a feeling of annoyance then spread her wings and flew off into the night. "So what made you come to the worst part of town?" he asked, watching Morigan arc over a building and out of sight.

"You, actually." Logan answered "We have a proposition for you."

"Oh really?" Gabriel asked, "Well let's go find a place to talk then."

"How about the bar across the street? We can talk over a beer and slim here can have a root beer." Logan offered. Gabriel stopped and looked across at the bar, the biker had come out sporting a pool cue; Gabe hadn't seen a pool table in the place so he had to wonder where he got it.

"Nah." He decided, "Let's find another bar, that one needs to clean its lines. The beer tastes like dog's piss." They started to walk off when the biker caught sight of them.

"You!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The Gabriel and the two X-men continued walking but Scott did turn to see who was shouting and who he was shouting at, it didn't take him long to realise what was about to happen.

"Uh, Gabriel?" he said, a little uncertainly. Gabriel kept walking.

"Just keep walking but spread out a bit, give me room to move." Logan, who had already been expecting this from the shout had already pulled three feet ahead, Scott stayed a couple of feet from Gabriel on his right, still watching the biker.

"He's coming this way." Gabriel was inwardly impressed; Scott had gone from uncertainty to business-like in a minute.

"How's he holding the pool cue?" he asked "Like a sledgehammer or a baseball bat?"

"Bat." Scott answered, _horizontal swing_ _and the guy had slapped me on the back with his left hand meaning he'll swing from the left_ Gabriel thought and flexed his right fist as he walked. "He's getting close."

"I can hear his footsteps." Gabriel kept walking until the biker was six foot away and bringing the cue around in it's wide arc then turned around and swung his left fist in a wide roundhouse. The cue and Gabriel's fist connected for a moment before the cue snapped in half from the blow. Without pausing Gabriel plucked the broken half out of the air with his free hand and used his momentum from the first punch to strike the cue across the biker's skull, he went down instantly. He turned to his two companions. "So, where's the nearest bar?" He asked; both X-men looked at him silently.

La Guardia Airport, New York City, New York 

It was effectively dead in the terminal so, unfortunately, the eight passengers weren't as inconspicuous as they would have liked to be.

They all filed off the plane at the same and split up to check in separately and regrouped at the baggage carousel, where they each picked up a non-descript metal briefcase and left the terminal, they stood outside in the cold air for a moment before one of them asked.

"So, what now?"

Every bar that the trio had walked into had refused them service, officially because one of them was under-age but the real reason wasn't too hard to fathom, the TV was showing the clip of the X-men's identities for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. They had eventually found an all night diner that was willing to serve them some coffee, not because the middle-aged woman behind the counter liked them, she just never refused a sale. Along with the four glasses, three filled with water and one filled with ice for his fist, Gabriel bought them each an early breakfast, though Scott declined, the talking started while they were waiting for the food to come.

"So, this proposition..?" Gabriel asked.

"Chuck wants to offer you a place at the institute, he feels that you could benefit from some training." Gabriel looked from Logan to Scott, then back again.

"You're serious?" Gabriel asked incredulously, he had only caught a glimpse of professor Xavier when the X-men had carried him out and Logan's last words had been pretty direct. "So when you said 'next time I see you, I'll tear you a new one' you were just being friendly?"

"I'm not going to lie to you spook, _I_ don't want you there. But Chuck wants you there, and if you're going to be there then at least I can keep an eye on you." He stopped when the waitress came over with their breakfast then continued to talk once she left. "Scott, it's about time you were headed home." Logan said meaningfully to the X-man. Scott nodded, understandingly.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys later." He said and left quickly.

"Is he going to be alright out there?" Gabriel asked Logan.

"Slim can look after himself." Logan said as he and Gabriel began to dig into their food. "While Charles is willing to trust you, I'm not, so there's things I need to know about you." Gabriel gave Logan a cautious look.

"What do you need to know?" he asked slowly.

"Everything." Logan answered. Gabriel placed his cutlery down on the table.

"Fine, but there's a condition. What I tell you stays between us, it's not a pretty story and quite a lot of it's classified."

"Fine."

"Where to start?" Gabriel asked himself "Okay, I suppose it started when I was twelve, I succumbed to some kind of genetic disorder that began to waste my muscle structure, six months later, I was thirteen years old, I died…"


	9. B&E

**Unstable**

**Chapter 9**

**B&E**

_Focus is key_ Gabriel's teacher's always used to tell him, over and over again. _In all things, focus is key_ till it was a constant mantra in the dark recesses of his head. He was using that and many other mantras, lessons and exercises that he'd had drilled into him over the last 8 years as he 'roof-jumped' his way across Bayville.

Traversing the city in this way was always exhilarating for Gabe; he always tried to find the time, before he was incarcerated, to climb the tallest building he could find and take in the view.

He couldn't do that now; he was on a mission.

Gabriel ran the length of an apartment block roof and leapt across the street onto another, he revelled in the weightless feeling he got in the middle of the jump when gravity decided to reassert it's all-powerful control over him. He jumped the small gap of an alleyway onto the next roof and saw the curved architecture of the Bayville Mall. Gabriel jumped another two roofs and then he was at the nearest building to the mall and surveyed the large car park. It was empty except for three vehicles right by the entrance; they were too far away to tell their makes. Gabriel looked around the street for any witnesses to his passing, there were none. He took the final step off the roof and dropped nimbly to the pavement and ran across the road and double-timed it across the car park to the three vehicles. Up close the cars were basic 'yuppie' fare: two convertibles and an SUV all high-end by the look of the trim. And warm by the feel of the bonnet; they had only been here for about an hour and it had taken Gabriel half that to make it across town so Fury and his damn phone call had been quick. The call had annoyed an already irate Gabriel, effectively firing him then ordering him around:

_I need a favour Gabriel._

_We picked up a call over the police band and the police are refusing to take it._

_There's trouble at the Bayville Mall, stop it._

Three simple sentences had made Gabriel into Patch's lapdog and he'd obeyed without even _thinking_.

_Focus is key_.

Gabriel snuck around the SUV and straight towards the glass doors. He pushed against the nearest door; it moved but stopped dead against a deadbolt, not the point of entry. Gabriel was about to move to the next door when he heard the slightest of sounds, like some one sneaking up on him. Gabriel slowly moved his right hand to his boot where he kept a spare throwing knife.

"Take your hand off of the knife." Logan barked, Gabriel relaxed and turned around.

"What're you doing here?" Gabriel asked him as he crept to the next door and tested the lock, again, no luck. He leaned against the brick wall and looked up at the mutant. "I left you all the way across town." Logan thumbed towards a shaded area of the parking lot where his bike was parked beneath a heavily foliaged tree where Gabriel couldn't see it from the rooftop.

"I haven't been here long, bub, but it seems everything's okay."

"Fury wouldn't send me on a wild goose chase." Gabriel went to the next set of double doors and again, they were locked. _How'd they get in?_ He thought.

_BANG!!_ Gabriel and Logan tensed at the gunshot.

"Told you so." Gabriel stood up and kicked the glass door in; Logan moved around him and entered the mall.

"They came in here and up the escalator, there's eight of them and they're chasing two others."

"Hardly seems fair." Gabriel mused. "Let's even it up." Logan nodded.

"You go left, I go right and we'll meet up in the middle." Gabriel stepped onto the elevator. "And Gabriel?" He turned around and waited for Logan to finish. "Make sure there are still ten hearts beatin' when this all over, would ya bub?" Gabriel kept his face impassive

"Is that including ours?" Logan gave him a cold hard stare and stepped onto the escalator, Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Spoil _all_ my fun why don't you?" He reached the top and stole away at a half-run into the shadows. Logan watched him go then peeled off to the right, following the attackers' scents.

Gabriel kept low against the first floor storefronts, he hadn't seen anyone yet and it began to worry him, the mall was big but not huge; ten people couldn't just disappear.

As far as he could tell the mall was laid out in a large cross and he and Logan had covered one of the arms and were about to cover another two. He stopped at the corner and looked around it, nothing. Gabriel was about to sneak around the corner when a thought hit him: _Wolverine knows where they are_. Giving himself a mental slap, Gabriel ran to the first floor banister and jumped over.

Logan had easily tracked the scents of the hunted pair and followed it around to the southern arm of the mall; his entrance into the mall was on the western mall. He stopped every few moments to sniff the air and listen to the background quiet for any conspicuous sounds; he heard footfalls, running towards him. He backed into the dark shadow of a doorway and waited.

As the footfall sounds came closer, Logan could pick out more information, for one, they were two people heading his way, and they were young.

Logan waited until the pair was on him to leap out of the doorway, grab them and pull them into the darkness.

"Ah-!" Logan quickly clamped over the kids mouths' to stop them crying out.

"I'm going to remove my hands, and your going to be quiet, got it?" He felt the kids nod; he put the kids down and turned them around. "Who's chasing you? Why are they chasing you?" The two kids, on male, one female, both Hispanic, possibly siblings, gave him a look that reminded him of Kitty's puppy dog look. _Ugh!_

"We don't know, they just chased us." The young boy started.

"Uh-huh, we've been running all night and I'm tired." The girl finished. After a moments thought, Logan shouldered the stores door open and placed the kids inside.

"Hide in here, I'll come back for you soon." The children nodded silently and watched him leave. They waited a few seconds before speaking again.

"He's a lot hairier than I thought." The boy said.

"And older too." The girl added.

Gabriel had, on a whim, decided against following Logan's exact trail and had taken a perpendicular course; cutting across the main area and then on the opposite side of the arm Gabriel figured Logan was on, he never saw the two kids.

It was probably a decision that saved his life.

Logan was close to the eight attackers, what he couldn't figure out was why their scents led back outside.

Ten Minutes Ago...

Seven of the attackers waited by their van, the eighth was on a nearby roof waiting for the right time to strike. All of them wore dark colours, mainly greens and greys to help them become indistinguishable in the darkness.

"Have they called in yet?" An English female voice, asked the person next to her, her voice had a hard edge of authority, used to being obeyed.

"Not yet commander." Another female voice, a slight oriental accent this time.

"We'll give them ten minutes then see what the problem is."

"Target: Esus had entered the playing field." A male, English voice echoed over a radio one of the group were carrying "He's now obscured by the building." It added after a second.

"Weapons free." The first voice ordered. A myriad of clicks and the sliding of metal-on-oiled-metal sounds accompanied the groups immediate arming with an exotic array of firearms. The first woman held up a small device in her gloved hand and pressed a small red button on top.

Inside the mall a small machine clicked then a gunpowder charge fired off a blank cartridge, imitating a gunshot.

Up on the roof the sniper, designated Aleph-2, shifted his weight slightly to get comfortable and waited. He rested his eye into the scope of his rifle and concentrated on the large upper floor window three hundred metres away where Target: Esus' head would appear in due time. In the confines of the scope everything was a washed out blue. The scope was a powerful Fluoroscopic-sniper scope; it would see a toe bone at eight hundred metres. It was a custom scope made by the team's super-technician and all round quartermaster.

He waited for five minutes without moving, ten. Then his target came into view; a brilliant white skeletal structure in a field of blue. Easy to see, easy to shoot.

Aleph-2 rested the crosshairs over the target's skull just behind where the ear would be and slowly squeezed the trigger. The rifle jumped back into his shoulder, not enough to hurt but enough to jump the scope off target, he didn't see the target go down but he did see the target lying on the mall floor, having plummeted from the upper floor in a hail of glass.

"Aleph-2 to all points, Esus is down."

"Aleph-2, Beta-1, withdraw to the CP, we'll deal with the clean up." It was the English woman. "Do you copy?" Aleph-2 hesitated for a moment; he wanted to be there when they got rid of the body, as a sort of closure. "Aleph-2?"

"I copy, Beta-1." He said finally "Withdrawing now." He flipped the lens covers back over the ends of the scope, flicked the safety on and, cradling the rifle in his arm, crawled backwards towards the fire escape.

Gabriel had quickly caught up with Logan, he could see him on the landing above an across from him. He was about to shout up to the X-man when the glass around Logan had disintegrated and he had jerked away from it and fallen. Gabriel kept back, not wanting to get within the sniper's crosshairs. Keeping his back to the wall, Gabriel edged his way to the glass doors and looked out, coming straight at him were seven heavily-armed-dark-clad people. Behind him he could hear the tinkling sound of shifting glass as Logan stirred.

"Play dead for a moment Wolverine, the perps are coming this way." Gabriel jumped up to the top level and hugged the wall, he peeked out around the edge of the window and watched the team approach the mall, they were all clad in dark clothes and wearing bulky head socks, he could tell by the way they moved that they were professionals, and they seemed familiar to him too. _Must've seen them in the Bayville SHIELD office, it's the only place I've really been._ Gabe wondered why Fury would bring him here just to get rid of him; he had plenty of opportunity in the three days previous.

Gabriel leaned out through the ragged hole in the window and watched the team enter, two by two by three. He shook his head, something definitely stunk about this, just what, Gabriel didn't know.

Gabriel walked back to the opposite side of the gantry and climbed over the edge backwards so he was facing the window and, hooking his legs around the handrail, leaned back.

Now that he was upside down, he could easily reach down and grab one of the operatives while still remaining hidden in the shadows. He watched them trail under him, weapons up and aimed in Logan's direction. Gabriel waited until the last one, also the smallest, was under him and then struck. He grabbed the operative by the jaw and left arm, its trigger arm, and lifted the operative up quickly and, more importantly, quietly. He dragged his struggling captive up onto the gantry and pulled away her, now Gabriel had the woman up close he could tell, weapon. He pulled her into a corner and shoved her into it; he poked her in the stomach with her rifle.

"Stay there and be quiet." He told her, backing off and levelling the rifle at her stomach. "Now, I'm going to ask you a simple question; what are you doing here?" he whispered harshly. He pulled off the head sock to reveal an Asian woman in her mid twenties. She shot Gabriel a dark look and spat her answer.

"We are here to hunt a fugitive." Gabriel took a step back and was illuminated by the streetlight outside the window. He caught her look of surprise. "How did you..?" she half-asked, a moment went by and the conversation below echoed up to them.

_Is it me, or is there very little blood and grey matter for a headshot?_ Moments went by as the Asian woman seemed to wrangle a difficult decision, Gabriel could guess what it was: call out to her team-mates and risk getting shot or stay quiet and let their prey get the drop on them.

_Wait. Is that metal?_ The operative made up her mind, she took a deep breath to shout, her biggest mistake, Gabriel kicked her as hard as he could in her stomach then smashed the butt of the rifle into her neck, knocking her out cold. He caught a flash of the shoulder insignia as she doubled over, the SHIELD eagle on a black background, ringed by a silver crosshair. Underneath it were two words: SHIELD and STRIKE.

_Metal?! Out of the way, let me look_. Gabriel quietly ran along the gantry, towards the intersecting point, the centre of the mall. Halfway down he vaulted over the rail and, doubling back, slid down the banister of an escalator.

_This isn't who I think it is, is it?_ Gabriel reached the bottom and ducked under a boulder that was part of some decorative piece. Listening to the conversation up ahead the operatives had hit a snag, as well as hitting a semi-immortal Canadian. They were panicking.

_Uh…_ Gabriel took a close look at the rifle he had taken off of the woman; it was an H&K G-36; the German 5.56 NATO standard rifle. It wasn't as efficient as H&K's more famous machineguns but it was still fairly reliable.

_What do you mean 'uh…'?_ Normally Gabriel would strip the weapon to check it was working but he didn't have the time or the light to do it in. He looped the shoulder strap over his shoulder and brought the G36 to his shoulder. He raised himself onto his haunches and crept around the rock to another in the planter; there were several rocks, all but two were upstanding, they were laid down like slabs in the dirt. Gabriel had a good view of the team all looking at the body of Logan lying still. Gabe could just about see Logan's face; he wasn't happy about the situation.

_This is Weapon X! Why is _he_ fuckin' here?_ Gabriel rested the elbow of his left arm on the boulder and looked down the optical sight, resting it over the person he figured was in charge.

_And if Aleph-2 shot Weapon X, then where's Esus?_ Gabriel flicked the fire selector by his right thumb to burst-fire and tightened his finger on the trigger. He took a deep breath.

"Logan! Now!" he pulled the trigger, a hundred yards away his target was thrown back by three bullets making contact with her chest.

Logan struck fast, punching the first opponent he saw and ducked a salvo of fire that knocked over a third, then ran towards the spot he heard Gabriel shout and fire from. He covered the distance quickly and dive-rolled over the boulder, landing next to Gabriel.

"Who are they?" he asked the British operative as he forced the enemy into nearby shop doorways for cover.

"Hell knows, Logan." He pulled the trigger once more, hearing only a _click-click-click_ of an empty chamber. "Aw hell." They looked at each other for a second "Run?" Gabe offered.

"Run." They bolted away from the boulder and round the rocks back towards where Gabriel had come. A couple of seconds went by, Logan and Gabriel barrelled around the corner of the intersection and straight for the glass doors, narrowly escaping a salvo of bullets. Regaining their balance they started the four hundred yard home stretch. They were running side by side, up until the team of operatives charged around the corner and fired at them, Logan's knees buckled as they were shot from under him, Gabriel got a couple of feet ahead when a searing, painful impact on his left shoulder pitched him forward. Gabriel forced himself to sit up, grimacing through the pain, as Logan pulled the bullets from his ruined leg.

Gabriel looked around at the approaching team; they had backed off and were slowly approaching them. "We ain't got much time, spook." Gabriel shot Logan a dark look as pulled Gabriel up to his feet.

"Well no shit, Sherlock." They took one last look at the approaching group before coming to a unanimous decision.

They smashed through the doors and, now that Logan's leg was healing they sprinted to Logan's bike and hopped on. Logan gunned the engine and they peeled out of the parking lot.

Several members of the operative team pushed through the doors in time to see the rising cloud of dust.

"Christ." Said one, known by the code sign 'Aleph-3'. The voice was deep, Spanish and male. The operative next to him nodded.

"Betsy's gonna be really pissed when she comes round." Said a familiar female American voice, designated Omega-1.

"How's Qi?" he caught his superiors look. "I mean, Beta-3."

"She's fine, Gabriel just knocked her out."

"Not the greatest start to her career."

"It's better than it should've been." Omega-1 said after a pause. "Gabriel doesn't usually let _any _opponent live if he can." She pulled off the head sock and combed a hand through her blonde hair. "The Gabriel I knew would have torn her apart."

Gabriel waited until they were at least a few miles from the mall before tapping Logan on the shoulder.

"Could we stop somewhere?" he shouted over the roar of the 'cycles engine, Logan nodded and pulled a hard right into a deserted alley. Gabriel got off and pulled his jacket off and then his shirt.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked him.

"I think the bullet's stuck in my shoulder". Gabriel pulled out his boot knife and offered it to Logan. "Could you?" he asked. Logan waved away the knife and popped a claw. Gabriel leaned against the alley wall and readied himself.

Logan dug his claw into the gunshot wound on Gabriel's left shoulder and felt around until he felt the claw scrap against the bullet.

"Got it, I'll have it out in a second." it took a little bit of tweaking but Logan soon had the bullet out and stuck on the end of the adamantium claw. Gabriel rolled his shoulder, grimacing through the pain, and looked at the bullet. He pulled the assault rifle from the bike, where he had jammed it in to stop it from dropping out, off of the back and pulled the magazine out and threw it into a nearby dumpster and began to strip the weapon; the barrel landed next to the magazine and the trigger mechanism and bolt soon followed, Gabriel stripped the firing mechanism down to it's barest components and bent the firing pin out of shape then tossed that with the chassis, job done he returned his attention to the rifle slug. He took it off of Logan and got back on the motorcycle. Logan got on and gunned the throttle. "So." He said "Is there any place I can drop ya off bub?" Gabriel was silent for a moment.

"Just drop me off by the diner, I'll make my own way from there."

"I've got a better idea, seeing how you have a group of gunmen after you why don't you lay low at Xavier's." Gabriel sighed; he knew, somehow, he would be going back there.

"Fine Logan, I'll take Xavier's offer." Logan gunned the throttle once more and drove down the alley and out the other side towards the mansion. "So what will I be teaching?" Gabriel asked loudly. Logan smiled wolfishly.

"Teaching? Who said anything about you _teaching_?"


	10. Recovery

**Unstable**

**Chapter 10**

**Recovery **

"So let me get this straight." Beta-1 asked her subordinate, Aleph-2, once they were back in the warehouse that was their command post. "You only saw the target approach the combat zone but still somehow managed to shoot a mutant who not only looks nothing like the target _at all_ but also has a _metal covered skeleton_, meaning, he would show up differently on your fancy little scope."

"I was only handed the scope, ma'am." Aleph-2 started "I wasn't handed a colour coded chart, how was I supposed to know that calcium was supposed to come up on the scope as a black smudge?" the two operatives stared at each other in silence, Beta-1 sighed.

"You realise we haven't got long till he relapses don't you?" Aleph-2 nodded silently, he remembered the six months of carnage.

"Yes Betsy I know but, c'mon, Gabriel was our-"

"I know, but he lost everything when he fell Tobias, his integrity, his dignity, his right to live a normal life." She paused "And he lost our friendship, he went insane Tobias, he racked up a three figure body count in six months. An animal like that doesn't deserve to live."

Gabriel's shoulder ached all through the ride to the institute, he envied Logan's healing factor and just knew he'd have to get it checked out by someone at the institute, that meant a blood work up which meant that questions would arise that he wasn't sure he could answer, he'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Gabriel didn't recognise the drive to the mansion, he figured they were coming from a different direction. Gabriel checked the time on his watch: 04:37. Gabriel suddenly felt tired.

"Here we are, bub. Home sweet home." Gabriel looked to his left and saw the remains of the wall. Again, he couldn't get the magnitude of the destruction, it was immense and barely anything was standing above six feet. Which brought a pretty important question into his head as the stopped at the newly rebuilt gates, a glaring piece of normalcy amidst the debris.

"If the institute's been flattened; where in the hell are you staying?" he asked

"Shh! We've got company." He whispered and pointed to a Chevy convertible parked on the grass verge. Back in business mode, Gabriel got off the bike and walked over to the car, placing his hand on the bonnet; it was still warm. Gabriel nodded to Logan and both quickly jogged through the gate and along the cracked road towards the institute. Gabriel let Logan lead; he had a track on the intruders and was growling.

They reached the motor pool quickly and saw three shadows facing the garage door. Gabe could just about hear one of them chuckling. Logan stopped and told Gabriel to wait. He did as ordered.

"You circle left, I'll go right. Trap 'em in the middle." Logan took off and Gabriel followed suit in the opposite direction. Gabriel ran but kept an eye on the three intruders, even when a wall obscured his line of sight. They appeared again as Gabriel turned and ran straight for them, he saw a glint of light that had to be Wolverine's claws. Gabriel ran in close then vaulted at the nearest one, feet first and connected with his shoulder. Rolling backwards onto his feet and ducked the second's punch, grabbed his outstretched arm and threw him over his shoulder. The first intruder was back on his feet and tackled Gabriel and hit him against the wall, pain exploded in his back and, especially, his shoulder. Gabriel dropped to the floor when the intruder was forced away from him by a blur of blue fur that Gabriel figured was Kurt in a vest and boxers. The second intruder was up and ready again and this time tried to do a roundhouse kick while running at him. Gabe sidestepped the foot and lifted it up, unbalancing the amateur and kicked his other leg out from under him. Gabriel placed his foot on the intruder's neck and frowned when he got a look at the face. It was a blue bald demon with protruding teeth, _no wait_.

Gabriel bent down and pulled the rubber mask off. Under it was a white teenager with blonde hair, looking a little scared. He looked up to see Kurt crouching on the back of one intruder and Kitty and Logan, who had just ran in and hit his target only once, which was enough to leave him in a daze, standing over the last intruder; both with their masks off. All of them were teenagers and, now Gabriel got a good look at the three, all were wearing jerseys.

"What are you doing here, bub?" Logan asked them, they remained silent. Logan popped his claws and Gabriel felt the teen under his foot flinch. "I ain't gonna ask twice." Still no answer. Kitty looked up at the wall behind Gabriel.

"I've got a pretty good idea." She said, Gabriel turned and saw several caricatures of the X-men. Gabriel took his foot off of his captive and hauled him up with his good hand so he was looking him in the eyes.

"Piss off." He said menacingly then threw him to the floor once more. The teen hauled himself to his feet and ran, his two friends soon followed when Kurt and Logan let them up.

"Get lost freaks!" one said once he figured he was out of the danger zone, around four metres away. Gabriel picked up a palm-sized pebble.

"Yeah!" his buddy, the one Gabriel had temporarily underfoot "Bayville doesn't want you!" Gabriel did a few quick calculations then threw the pebble, a couple of seconds passed before he saw the guy in the lead, the one who had said the 'F' word fall over when the pebble struck him. His friends picked him up and helped him run.

Gabriel turned around and tuned into a lecture from Logan asking the two kids what they were doing outside, trampling over every attempt they made to explain, the argument, sorry _discussion_, ended with Logan telling them to escort Gabriel into the institute to see Xavier, who was now up, while Logan went back for his bike. Logan stalked off without waiting for Kurt or Kitty to answer. Gabriel watched the Canadian stalk off then turned back to the kids, who were looking at the graffiti on the garage doors. Gabriel placed a hand on their shoulders and led them away.

"Ignore it." He said simply and let them lead him around the remains of the building towards a stone gazebo.

"Like, how can we?" Kitty asked, "It's right there." Kurt remained quiet.

"I have a question." Gabriel said to change the subject. "The institute is nothing but rubble so where is everyone and where are you living?" they reached the Gazebo and Kurt pressed his hand into a recess in one of the pillars.

"Not all of the institute is like, above ground Shift." Kitty answered. The floor rose to show an elevator.

"I'm off duty Kitty, call me Gabe, if you want to be formal it's Gabriel." He told her as the lift descended. "What is 'Kitty' short for anyway?" he asked her.

"Katherine." She answered.

"Uh-huh." Gabriel muttered to himself, Lift rides bored Gabriel, he'd been riding these things in various military bases across the globe and it didn't matter if the ride took a minute or an hour (A Russian CW military bunker) he always had to find ways to entertain himself, one of which was moving his wounded shoulder and grimacing, seeing how bad it really was.

The lift, thankfully, stopped and all three walked out. Kurt beckoned for Gabriel to follow him.

"Go get some sleep Kitty." He advised the girl, she yawned before she could make any kind of protest and nodded sleepily. She walked in, what Gabe figured, was the direction of the dorm.

Gabriel followed Kurt through winding brushed steel corridors, which reminded Gabe a little of the Outfit HQ, until he came to a steel door that looked exactly the same as the few they had already passed except this one had a white plastic plaque with Xavier's name inscribed on it. Gabriel knocked but no answer came, Kurt gave Gabriel a weird look.

"What?" He asked the mutant.

"You didn't hear the professor?" he asked. Gabriel shook his head slowly, what he _was_ getting was a headache. "He said to go right in." Kurt said and left _Oh-kay_ Gabriel thought. _Maybe he smells whatever it is that Logan smells off of me._ He added to himself and punched the doors open button. The inside of the room was a major contrast with the hall, decked out with a plush red carpet and a mahogany desk with a matching chair facing Xavier and various pieces of artwork adorning the steel walls.

"Cosy." Gabriel noted and walked towards the desk where Xavier was hanging up the phone.

"You could call it my 'home under home'. He held out a hand, which Gabriel shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you Gabriel, at least under better circumstances." Gabriel nodded.

"I'm told that you wish to offer me a place here, as a student." He said, Xavier nodded and asked Gabriel to sit. "You see that doesn't really work for me." Gabriel continued.

"Oh really?" Xavier said with a small smile.

"Yeah, y'see I've tried organised education and it didn't really work for me."

"Yes, I'm given to understand that you got into endless fights, one of which ended quite…catastrophically." Xavier countered. Gabriel kept his face impassive.

"Where did you hear that from?" Gabriel asked slowly.

"Once I realised that you were the person I saw outside the penitentiary I decided to call your father and-"

"Have you gone bat-shit!" Gabriel shouted angrily "He thinks I'm deid, an' tha's all he's s'posed te think." Gabriel ranted, inadvertently barking in his original Scottish accent. Xavier waited for a second then answered.

"Gabriel you have to understand that Conner is an old friend. I felt it prudent to tell him his son was alive. He's mourned both you and you're mother for quite some time." The mention of Gabriel's mother caused him to go silent. He closed his eyes and composed himself. _Focus is key_.

"First of all professor; My faked death was necessary for me to function as a deep cover intelligence operative _because_ of my familial connections and secondly; my father and I barely got on, in fact I don't give two _shits_ if he mourned for me and I know he isn't still grieving for my mother, I snuck in to the church when he got married to that hussy." Gabriel kept his eyes closed.

"You mean Genevieve?" Xavier asked.

" Of _course_ I do, unless he went and got married while I was indisposed." Gabriel was quiet for a second. "So what did the rat-bastard have to say?"

"He wants to come here and talk to you." Gabriel huffed a laugh.

"Talk? I can tell you what he'll do Xavier; he'll walk in here and rant. And after he's finished I'll probably do the same." Gabriel shrugged "Of course that's assuming you can get me and him in the same room." Xavier looked at Gabriel silently, thinking before speaking.

"We are getting off topic Gabriel but I will say one final thing on this; there will come a time when you'll wish you spoke to him, even if it's just once to clear the air and put your feelings toward him forward and I would ask that you do this, I won't force you." He paused and watched how Gabriel leant on his right arm to get comfortable and kept his left close to his chest as if to protect it. "You're hurt." He said.

"It'll keep Prof, please continue."

"While I haven't seen you use your powers Gabriel I have some idea how you would have been trained with the military." Gabriel nodded

"They concentrated on the more physical aspects, we were told that our abilities were our prerogative. The ESPers banded together and helped each other, the rest of us just dabbled and tested ourselves."

"Yes, well I wish to train you to control your powers Gabriel, to harness your full potential." Gabe sat silently and mulled this over.

"I've gotten by so far." He said slowly. Xavier gave him a careful look, one that told Gabe he knew what Gabe wasn't saying.

"I was told what happened to you on board the Velocity Gabriel, the nosebleeds are your body's way of telling you that you over-tax yourself. If you stay and learn here Gabriel there could come a time when you'll be able to indefinitely change your centre of gravity, possibly even negate it all together." _He_ has_ been reading up on me_ Gabriel thought.

"Negate gravity? Are you talking about me actually being able to fly?" Xavier nodded.

"One day, yes. But that day will never come unless you train yourself and hone your skills." Gabriel mulled this all over; secretly he had always been envious of his telekinetic teammates for their ability to fly, or at least an approximate facsimile of it, the closest he had ever got was his flight training in a MD 500 Defender scout helicopter when he and a few colleagues had spent a month in a California airbase for assault and intrusion training (He did intrusion, everyone else, assault).

"Okay Xavier." Gabriel said after a minute "I'm onboard. But I have to warn you, I'm still on the SHIELD payroll, if they need me, I can't say no."

"I understand Gabriel." Xavier wheeled around the desk and beckoned Gabriel to follow him "Now, lets get that shoulder looked at." Gabriel got up and followed the professor out into the corridor.

Hank was in his lab preparing for a full medical for the newest recruit, he had already been told via telepathy that Gabriel was injured and would need assistance. He turned at the sound of the door sighing open and saw Xavier and Gabriel enter.

"Ah, there's my next victim." He said with a toothy grin. " So, what did you do to yourself?" Gabriel jumped up onto the hospital cot and took of his bloodstained jacket and shirt.

"Me? I did nothing." Hank took a closer look at Gabriel's shoulder.

"I'm no MD but I think it's a safe bet that this isn't a laceration." He arched an eyebrow at Gabriel, who just returned an unabashed stare.

"GSW, five-five-six, soft nose round." He said and handed Hank the bullet. "Standard issue to all NATO countries. Logan got the bullet out I just need you to disinfect and stitch up the wound please Hank, and a bandage if possible." Hank nodded and grabbed a bottle of TCP and some gauss from the medical cabinet that was nearby.

"How did you get shot?" Xavier asked him, Gabriel told him what had happened earlier from the diner to running out of the mall. "Hmmm." Xavier said

"You believe that Fury decided out of the blue to kill you and you still consider yourself on the payroll?" by now Gabriel's GSW was clean, stitched and bandaged, another scar to join the other three bullet scars on his chest and the seven tattoos; the tattoos were arranged in two rows the top was four across and the bottom, three. The tattoos were small half-inch thin lined circles with a different animal relief in each one: Gecko, Boar, Elephant, Frog, Eagle, Vulture and Bear (Top right to bottom left).

Gabriel watched Hank take out a needle full of blood and place it in a metal dish and take it to a microscope, Gabriel couldn't figure why.

"Whether Fury's hunting me or not I can't really tell, I got a good look at one of them and I don't recognise her from anywhere. I'll phone SHIELD later and ask my controller." Gabriel grabbed a small piece of gauss and pressed it to the puncture wound.

"Will he tell you if you are being hunted?"

"It's the tone of his voice I'm going to be listening to, not what he says." Gabriel answered. Hank took his eye from the microscope and looked back at Gabriel.

"You can get dressed Gabriel, we won't do your physical until your one-hundred percent, okay?" Gabriel nodded and shrugged on his shirt, wincing slightly as he rolled his left shoulder. "While the damage to your shoulder was minimal Gabriel, I want you to take it easy; no heavy lifting, no working out, no strenuous movement of any kind, Got it?" he warned the Briton.

"Got it chief." Gabriel said and hopped off of the cot.

"I'm afraid that all our beds our taken Gabriel so we have no place for you to stay until the morning when we can get another bed." Xavier told him as he led him down the corridors once more.

"Don't worry about a bed Xavier, a comfy chair will do me, if you have one." Gabriel said to Xavier as he showed him to the dining room. The room was large, and in difference to the rest of the underground complex décor, the walls were solid stone and the furniture was wood. On the opposite side of the large room were ten doors, which Xavier said, were the dorm rooms.

"We haven't at the moment but since you will obviously need to do some shopping in the morning anyway, you can order one in."

"Then I'll just find a corner and have a couple hours kip then. When's chow time?" he asked and sat on the nearest chair at the table.

"Seven, I will see you then, I have to get back to my study and sort a few things out." Gabriel nodded a goodbye and stared at nothing for a few moments, thinking over the events of the night. He fell asleep a few minutes later.

"You wanted to speak in private, Hank?" Xavier had entered his office to see Hank waiting for him with some A4 size pieces of paper.

"I need to talk to you about Gabriel's blood work Charles, Here." He handed the professor the pages and sat back in silence as Xavier looked the pages over; one of theme was a detailed work up of Gabriel's DNA and the other was a X10000 magnification of Gabriel's blood. Xavier looked at the work-up first; there was a glaring omission.

"There's something wrong with his X-gene, it seems to be deteriorating." Xavier said after a moment.

"Quite the contrary, his X-gene was artificially grafted into his DNA. In order for it to spread through his body it needed to be spliced with a virus, they used the influenza virus, which while the easiest carrier wasn't the most viable hence, the deteriorated look. It must have been horrible." Xavier nodded and looked at the picture, it had everything that should be in blood: Plasma, Erythrocytes and Leucocytes. But included in the picture were several metallic pyramid shapes. Xavier looked at the picture then at Hank for an explanation. "I'm not sure what they are, all I can tell you is that they seem to be keeping Gabriel alive, they helped coagulate his blood before shutting down." Xavier put the pages down and steepled his fingers in thought.

"We'll keep this to ourselves until we know more, in the mean time, keep studying Gabriel's blood sample." He said finally.

"I can't." Hank said "The samples been irretrievably tainted."

"How?" Xavier asked. Hank handed Xavier a vial from his lab coat pocket, inside was a viscous grey liquid. "What's this?"

"Gabriel's blood sample, whatever is in Gabriel's blood has a kill-switch. I think that once it's separated from the body's electrical current the machines destroy any trace of themselves and the bodily fluid they're in." Hank took the vial back and put it back in his pocket. "It makes you wonder what would happen if Gabriel was to die."

_Gay-brie-al?_ A singsong voice called out in the darkness. Gabriel looked around in the dark.

"_Hello?!_" He called out, His voice echoed around the unseen room. Lights suddenly snapped on around him, start directly above him then spiralling out until the room was lit. The room he was in was a large grey box with rows and channels bisected by tall black monoliths. He turned a slow circle, he figured he was in the middle but it was hard to tell distances as everything but the monoliths were all the dull grey. Gabriel started to walk forward, looking around him for the body belonging to the disembodied voice.

_Gay-brie-al?_ The voice didn't echo, but he couldn't tell where it came from either. Gabriel passed another black pillar but still saw no one. _Gay-brie-al?_ The voice lowered, it reminded him of times his mother gently admonished him, that little disapproving tone that mothers everywhere develop. Gabriel stopped between four of the monoliths and turned again.

"_What do you want?!_" Gabriel shouted, still turning. A chill crept down his back and he knew someone was behind him. He turned once more, slowly this time and stared deep into the blood red eyes.

_We want you._

A loud buzzing sound from a nearby PA speaker forced him from his nightmare and back into the land of the living.

"Attention every one, the younger students are scheduled for breakfast first, the rest; please meet me in sublevel seven." Gabriel sat up and stretched, he'd fallen asleep at the table and his back began to protest. He looked over at the X-men and new mutants and guessed by the confused looks on their faces that the announcement was made, really, for his benefit. They probably got them via telepathy. Gabriel stood up and stretched again, this time he felt his spine click, relief soon followed. He half heard Rogue complain about the cramped conditions and Gabriel wondered if being forced into a room with the rest would have made that big a difference. The younger students headed straight into the kitchenette and began to make themselves breakfast while the X-men headed up the stairs towards the lockers. Kurt though, grabbed Gabriel and pulled him into line.

"You can borrow one of my shirts, we're about the same size." Kurt said. "And it will stop people giving you strange looks behind your back." Gabriel turned around to see Jamie and Amara looking at him. "Vell, _at_ your back anyvay." _Oh_ he thought _The GSW_ he realised, his shirt was probably blood-soaked by now.

"Thanks Kurt." Gabriel said "I'll get it back to you later." They entered the locker room; it looked like any other that Gabriel had been in. Kurt opened a locker that had his name emblazoned on the front in an acetate plate. He handed Gabriel a blue long-sleeved shirt, Gabriel thanked him again and found a free locker to change in front of. He pulled his bloodstained shirt off and chucked it into the locker, he'd get rid of it later, and felt several piercing pairs of eyes on his back. "I got into some trouble last night." He explained. "I came off worse." He shrugged the borrowed shirt on and buttoned it up then rolled up the sleeves.

"Well that explains the bandage." Evan said "But what about the scar?" Gabriel closed the locker before answering.

"Wrong time, wrong place." He said simply. "I got between a sniper and his target. Let's leave it at that." He left the locker room with the X-men and met up with the X-women, Jean gave him a weird look and Rogue simply glanced his way and made for the elevator, Kitty stayed close.

Morigan was angry, which wasn't really different from her usual grumpy disposition except that she was personal when she was grumpy but when she was _angry_…

She descended to street level and grabbed a passing businesswoman's cell phone with amazing accuracy and deftness and soared down the street, dropping the phone into a storm drain.

…She made sure everyone knew it.

Gabriel had telepathically communicated with her in the second he was shot, a second was all it took for the important information to come through; Gabe was being chased, he was hurt and needed her help. He hadn't sent that last part but Morigan had always figured Gabriel would be long dead if it wasn't for her.

That morning, around five am she had reached the Bayville mall, it was swarming with police and news vans and, Morigan noticed, a lone Ford Lincoln by the eastern entrance, far from the press. It was black and dusty with patches of rust; Morigan flew over it lazily, like she had nothing better to do, and perched in a nearby tree. She recognised Fury straight away but she couldn't hear him but she could tell he was angry though, he was berating one of his agents, a red-haired female that Morigan recognised also. Fury stopped in mid-rant and looked at her, first confused, then studiously. Morigan stared back in a darting fashion that all birds did. Fury looked for a few seconds then got back into the argument. Figuring it was time for her to get back to Gabriel, in case he got into more trouble, she flapped her wings and leapt from the branch and winged away.

Below her Fury watched before barking an order into his phone.

"Lyle, I am giving you twenty minutes to tell me what the hell Gabriel was doing shooting up a mall and then you'll get him down here to explain." He hung up without waiting for an answer and got back to directing the police.


	11. Settling In

**Unstable**

**Chapter 11**

**Settling In**

"So how come you've like, decided to join us?" Kitty asked as they piled into the elevator, Gabe figured she was the elected hostess, spokesperson and intelligence gatherer of the group.

"Mitigating circumstances." He replied. He felt the elevator drop and his boredom rise.

"So, did you like, just decide last night or was this planned?"

"Last night."

"So, how long are you staying?"

"I don't know."

"Are you like, joining _us_ or the New Mutants?"

"I haven't been told yet." The doors opened and Gabriel walked out into Sublevel-7. The room was fairly large with a large steel briefing table, which went well with the walls; which were steel. Xavier was already waiting for them at the head of the table.

"Be seated, everyone." Gabriel let everyone file past him, it was only manners after all, though once they were all seated a problem arose; there were no more chairs. Xavier gave him an apologetic look but Gabe waved it away and stood at the opposite end of the table to Xavier. "First of all, I would like to welcome the newest member of the institute, Gabriel McKinner. He will be joining the New Mutants in their training session tomorrow as a trial run." The X-men nodded quietly to him and he nodded back, the introduction wasn't really needed but again it was only manners. "Now, I have good news, the school board has agreed to let you all attend classes today, provided no one uses their powers."

"Just today?" Scott asked him.

"Yes because tonight, they'll be voting on whether or not to impose a permanent mutant ban." Xavier answered the team leader as he surveyed the people around the table. "You can see how important it is to be on your best behaviour." Gabriel wanted to say something, but refrained, he wasn't sure how his comments would be taking, or even _why_ he was at this briefing. Kitty stalled Gabriel's chance at speaking up though by leaning forward and talking herself.

"Professor, I'm afraid to go back there." The said quietly, remembering the graffiti scrawled on the garage doors. "We don't fit in anymore."

"It won't be easy at first, Kitty." Charles said soothingly. "But eventually you will be accepted and this time…" He picked up a newspaper that Gabriel hadn't noticed before and held up the front page; it was a shot of the X-men taking on a Sentinel, the angle of the picture suggested that the photographer had gotten right up close to the action to take the shot. Above it was the phrase '"Monsters" among us?' in big bold letters. "…For _all_ that you are." Evan stood up angrily.

"Aw man, so we're still _monsters_?" he huffed angrily "What is with that?!"

"Despite what they call us." Xavier admonished him. "We are people, it's time to remind them of it." Evan remained standing up.

"Y'know, if they don't like us, that's _their_ problem." He dropped back down onto his seat again. Gabriel silently agreed with him.

"Evan, what I am saying is, let's not give people a reason to fear us." Gabriel leaned forward, resting his good arm on the table.

"Why not try home-schooling?" He suggested "You've got some of the brightest minds wandering around this place already and most of the stuff school teaches is straight out of books anyway." Jean turned to look at him, he got a slight pain in his head as she did so, was it her or Xavier?

"If we did that everyone would think that we believed we were too good for the school system and hate us anyway." She countered. Kurt piped up.

"Hey." He said.

"But it would be a hell of a lot safer than driving across town and entering a public building filled wall to wall with people who, not a hundred and fifty years ago, would burn you at the stake quicker than you could say natural genetic diversity." Gabe realised his voice had raised a little and coughed quietly to interrupt his own flow. "I'm just thinking of your safety."

"We've done without shutting ourselves in for the last two years, we don't have to now." Scott interjected, _Christ_ Gabe thought _Smitten, much?_

"That's because mankind only believed mutants existed on the front page of the superstore tabloids and horror movies until four days ago." He replied quietly "Humankind woke up thinking it was the lone dominant species on the planet, then went to bed scared because nature has just called time on them. They are scared, and when people get scared they band together, when people band together it is called a mob, the mob mentality is kicked off by one idiot saying or doing the wrong thing. Couple _that_ with the usual brashness of the average teenager and we've hit a whole new level of chaos." _Wow_ Gabriel thought _I just made a speech_. The room was quiet for all of two seconds before Kurt spoke again.

"Hey, they named me 'identity unknown'." He ran up the table and crouched between Gabriel and Kitty, who both leaned over and read the article.

"Yeah look." She said pointing at a smaller picture that had Kurt, Jean and Ororo in it. "The only pictures they have of you are blue and furry." Gabriel, though, was looking at the column of the X-men's names, they had everyone but Xavier, Logan and Kurt; they had their ages as well, though Kurt's was in brackets with a question mark next to it, they placed him at possibly eighteen.

"That means, no one has made the connection that it's me." Gabriel thought he sounded happy about it, and he could understand why. Scott walked by behind Gabriel and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Yet." He said, "They will Kurt, especially the people who know you live here." _Rain on his parade why don't you?_ Gabe thought angrily when he saw the dejected look in Kurt's face.

"Yeah but, but…" He sighed, "You're right, they'll figure it out."

"Question?" Gabe asked; Xavier nodded. "I can understand why you have team:optimism here but why summon me to this meeting?" he asked.

"Simple." Xavier replied "I want you to shadow the X-men and make sure that things don't get…out of hand while they head into school. I believe that will be the most obvious time for any problems." Xavier said slowly.

"Hold on professor." Scott said. "Do we really need to have Gabriel there?" he asked.

"Is there a problem with that?" Gabriel asked coolly.

"No." Scott answered levelly, "I'm just worried that you might get a bit…"

"A bit…what?"

"Scott, Gabriel; this is not time to be butting heads. Scott, Gabriel is there only in case of an emergency. Gabriel, I will speak with you in a minute." Scott nodded Now, I'd like you all at tonight's meeting, let them look you in the faces when they vote, so they can see the people behind the powers." He leant back "Now, go make the best of your first day back." Gabriel watched the X-men file into the elevator then sat down in the seat Kitty had occupied. "First of all Gabriel, I want you to know why I placed you with the New Mutants, While your martial experience is fairly broad, you lack the skills I require in my X-men; teamwork and an excellent level of control with your abilities. Something I'm sure you'll pick up quickly while you train with the younger students."

"Then why ask me to this briefing?"

"Because while my students can deal with a bulk of their enemies, some will strike in areas they cannot defend, a gap they do not realise they have, you are here to fill that gap." Gabriel was quiet. " I realise that you might think that is enough to warrant you inclusion with the X-men but they need someone who will benefit the team as a whole." Xavier added.

"They need someone they can trust." Gabriel said quietly. "I understand that professor, I really do, but I don't think the X-men will accept me no matter what, especially when you get round to telling them that I'm not really a mutant." Xavier raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Last night Hank took a blood sample from me, in it he would have found a few…anomalies." Gabriel explained.

"The degraded look of your X-gene."

"And small pieces of metal that are unidentifiable." Gabriel stood up. "I can tell that your brimming with questions about it Xavier but, unfortunately for you, that information is classified; I can't tell you diddly-squat about what's been done to my system, but I'm not going to stop you finding out from other sources." Gabriel picked up the paper Kurt had left on the table and opened it to the mutant article. "You might want to warn Hank to place the sample of my blood in a freezer. If it's left in room temperature, it evaporates."

"Yes, we know, it turned into a grey liquid fairly quickly."

"It doesn't stop there though Xavier; it goes from blood, to goop, to dust and then finally to a gas, which will eat any silicone within an inch." Gabriel put the paper down again. "The gas is pretty poisonous if handled incorrectly, tell Hank I'll be down to sort it out later."

"Very well." Xavier said, the room went quiet for a second. "You had better get ready to leave Gabriel, take the van, the keys are in the ignition on sub-level one." Gabriel nodded and left to get some breakfast.

Sub-level one was a large garage and gigantic hanger moulded into one. The floor was steel, obviously, with red tracks leading from the variety of vehicles towards a ramp which led up to the surface and two large red circles currently occupied by the Velocity VTOL and a large jet. It looked like an oversized blackbird spy plane.

He walked down the line of motor vehicles; an old Bentley, a blue minivan, a red convertible that Scott and Jean were already getting into and the X-van.

Gabriel got into the minivan and started it up, it sounded good. He got himself comfortable then switched the engine off. He got out once more and approached Scott and Jean.

"Scott?" the leader of the x-men turned around to look at him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, shoot." Scott answered. Gabe sighed and thought his words through before speaking.

"I realise that you have a problem with me, whether it's me, my job or my particular way of life, I don't know and neither do I care. I just hope that, if we can't be friends, we can at least be professional because I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Scott was silent for a second before speaking.

"I can live with that, as long as you realise that whatever team your in I'm in charge, I expect you to follow my orders." Gabriel gave him a mock salute by way of an answer. "Good, the kids will meet you on the surface." Gabe nodded and piled back into the van. "Gabe?" Scott called from his convertible, which Gabe was inwardly envious of. "Welcome to the team." Gabe nodded and kicked the van into gear, following the red track up the ramp and into the daylight.

Outside Morigan had settled on the scaffolding that had been set up around the institute and waited for Gabriel to show, she had decided not to alert him to her presence, if only to get some peace and quiet.

She slept for an hour but a cold morning coupled with an unfamiliar environment didn't help her.

A movement on the ground by a small domed building, the floor raised and revealed itself to be a lift, she watched several figures get out and walk around to the front of a small, squat building. Morigan spread her wings and swooped down onto the roof of the building, which turned out to be the garage. Morigan felt vibrations through the roof and hopped on to the guttering and looked down as the garage door opened beneath her and a blue minivan drove out and stopped by the kids, none of whom Morigan recognised, and the driver got out, whom she did recognise. Morigan gave a harsh cry and glided onto Gabriel's shoulder.

Gabriel jumped when the sudden weight was added to his right shoulder; he looked up to see Morigan giving him a dirty look.

"Morigan! Where've you been?" he asked, an image of her dinner crept into his mind and told him enough. "Good for you." He turned to the younger students and his soon-to-be-team-mates. "Well, everyone pile in." he said and opened the side door, no one moved. "What's wrong?" He looked up at Morigan and saw the look she was giving everyone; it should be impossible for a raven to smile evilly, and even with Morigan this is true, but the bird gave off an aura of evil grinning smugness. "Morigan, be nice." He said to her "Don't worry about her, her craw's worse than her claws." He said and ignored the pain in his shoulder as Morigan's grip tightened.

"She looks really mad." Amara observed. Gabe silently agreed and sent calming thoughts Morigan's way.

"She's just a little cranky." He said, then turned to the bird "Morigan, do you know where Bayville High is?" Morigan bobbed her head; she had flown over good deal of Bayville that morning. "Great, meet me there will you?" Morigan leapt from Gabriel's shoulder and flapped off into the sky. Gabriel got back into the driver's seat and waited for the New Mutants to pile in. Once they and Kurt and Kitty, who had gotten into the front with him, were belted up, he placed the van into drive and headed down the cracked drive towards the gate.

Gabriel's first stop was Jamie's school, he got a bad feeling when he parked the van in the school's lot and saw the children with their parents looking his way. He got out and walked Jamie in, staring down any parent who attempted a look of disdain. Once Jamie was relatively safe in class he dropped in on the principal and gave her one simple sentence: If anything bad happens to Jamie Madrox, I will be holding you personally responsible. The message spread through the faculty fairly quickly.

The stop at Bayville high wasn't as easy. Gabriel stopped the van on the sidewalk near Scott's convertible and both groups met up before walking in.

"Remember Gabe." Scott whispered to him as they approached the mass of students "Don't do anything stupid." Gabe scoffed but seeing the X-man was serious he nodded and put on his game face.

Gabe kept as close to the middle of the group as possible so he could get to any trouble spots quickly, he found himself next to Evan. _If they decide to rush us_ Gabe thought _we are in very deep shit_. The whispering increased and a few brave individuals shouted from the back, out of sight of the mutants and Gabriel.

Gabriel felt Kitty brush up against him; he placed a hand on her shoulder protectively and swapped places with her. He felt the crowd close in behind him and the anxiety within him heightened.

"You gonna blow up _our_ school next?!" some guy shouted behind Gabriel, He and Evan turned around at the same time, Gabe realised he was at the back of the pack, no wait, _Where's Kurt?_

"Ride it out, Evan." Scott said soothingly. "Stand down Gabriel." Gabe turned back and continued walking with the X-men and New Mutants

"Where did Kurt go? He was just here." Kitty asked, Gabe shrugged and scanned the crowd with her; She tugged on his shirtsleeve a second later. He looked at her then where she was looking, Kurt had pushed as far back into the crowd as possible, he caught their gaze and simply shrugged. Kitty turned on her heel and stormed off, Gabriel kept in step.

"Cut him some slack Kitty." Gabe said quietly.

"He's just like, totally ditched us." She countered.

"He's scared."

"And so am I." Gabriel left it at that. They caught up with the group quickly at the entrance at the school, Gabe felt someone looking at him; he turned his gaze skyward and saw several teacher's looking down on them, some had the same scowl as the students and some were nonplussed. Gabe continued up the steps where Jean was talking with a blonde jock, Gabe caught the dirty look on Scott's face _I thought him and Jean where dating_,_ I must have got it wrong_. Just then a hash cry alerted him to the arrival of Morigan, she landed gently on his right shoulder.

"Nice flight?" he asked the bird, she sent back a happy feeling mixed with embarrassment as everyone bar the X-men shied away from the raven. "Good." He heard a raised voice by the door and saw Jean push past the jock and grab Scott's hand; He followed everyone past the jock.

Across town in the Bayville SHIELD offices, Lyle was heading a briefing on the current mutant situation; there were several street agents, including Carter and Woo, and several intelligence agents who worked in the cubicles one floor down. Lyle hit a button on a remote, which flipped a picture of Gabriel, which flared on the only white wall in the scarlet briefing room, to a picture of the gunman from Washington.

"This is Mr Hardy, no first name recorded, He was part of a program that trained kids from birth to be assassins, SHIELD stopped the program ten years ago, we weren't able to recover five of the test subjects until now." He hit the button again. A morgue picture of the second gunman from Washington flared up on the screen. "We haven't been able to ascertain this ones name but forensics is working on it." He flipped to a stock photo of Congress. "They were hired by an unknown benefactor to kill two senators who voted in favour of prolonging the decision on mutants. Operator Xi'an Coy Mahn dispatched the assassins and conducted the interrogation." He paused and handed out a pile of brown file folders. "Agent Carter will be heading a taskforce to track down this unknown client, we need results on this and fast. That is all, people." Carter and Woo didn't talk until they were back at there desks, Fury had ordered their move to Bayville, initially to back up Lyle Barker in backing up Gabriel but with Gabriel on suspension they were just twiddling their thumbs.

"First things first." Carter said as they sat down. "We need to find the right people for the task force." She fire up her computer.

"The best bet would be everyone in the Intelligence division." Woo offered.

"Somehow I don't think any amount of people will make headway, have you seen all this information, it's all circumstantial." She dropped her folder onto her desk.

"It's enough." Woo said before typing in his password and began searching the employee database.

"Are you guys okay on your own from here?" Gabe asked Kitty, Kurt, Evan and Rogue, once they had got inside the younger students had peeled off to their own classes and Scott and Jean had left hand-in-hand which confused the hell out of Gabriel. He had continued walking with the younger members of the X-men, several teens gave them dirty looks but ran when both Evan and Gabe gave them their own back.

"We'll be fine Gabriel, you don't have to worry about us." Kitty answered, Gabriel looked at each of the teens who nodded or, in Rogue's case, didn't do anything at all. Gabe shrugged.

"I'll bare that in mind." He watched them leave then walked back down the hall and out into the, now deserted, school grounds, he walked straight to the minivan, Morigan hopped off of his shoulder and onto the roof of the van, Gabriel opened the door and climbed in, hitting the sunroof button to allow the raven to flop into the passenger seat, where she hunched down and got comfortable, she looked like she was sitting in a nest and warming her eggs. "Okay, we are mall bound." He said to his feathered passenger. "I'll buy you a steak if you promise to be good." Morigan cawed happily in reply.

The Bayville mall looked a lot different by the light of day, Gabriel noted as he drove through the entrance of the car park and slowly meandered through the rows of parked cars. Apart from the glaringly obvious cardboard over the broken glass doors and windows the place seemed…normal. Upon seeing the building Morigan cawed in panic and jumped onto his lap and kicked up a fuss, Gabriel grabbed her by her body and placed her back onto the passenger seat where she cawed excitedly.

"Stop that!" Gabe snapped, making sure to send an angry feeling through their link. "Be quiet or its no sirloin steak." He threatened, Morigan shut her beak and hunched into a sullen silence, deciding to let Gabe foul up.

Gabriel parked the van in the bay closest to the west entrance with the nose pointing out of the bay and the driver door almost level, but just on the right of, the doors. He hadn't realised what he had done until he had got out, locked up and crossed the tarmac to the pavement and looked back. He shook his head and entered the Mall. Inside the mall, Gabe looked around, there were no broken storefronts, no broken art pieces but there was one piece of evidence had had been here the night before, a bullet hole in one of the stone boulders he had hidden behind.

He walked past them towards the large plastic mall map. He didn't need the small arrow with the ring to know where he was, his good sense of direction was enough, but he did need to know where a good and cheap clothes store was. He ignored the brand name stores and any that sounded even slightly expensive. In the end he decided to head to the Army Surplus that had been squirreled away on the second floor of the north arm. He headed straight for the store, discreetly taking stock of his surroundings. Something had him on edge, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

He turned the left-hand corner and looked around the umbrella-covered tables of the food court, there was nothing visibly amiss, but still…he couldn't shake the feeling there was.

He got on the nearest escalator and rode it up, still keeping an eye around him, still nothing. He walked the length of the upper gallery with an increasing sense of apprehension. He found the Army surplus store and entered, the door hitting a bell to alert the owner of a customer entering, it wasn't needed as a guy was loafing behind the counter reading a magazine, he nodded in Gabriel's direction which he returned before walking down the racks of clothing, grabbing a set of desert combats, an urban set and several unit T-shirts in varying shades of green. He took his wares to the counter where the loafer took a glance at his purchase and rang them up.

"That's an awful lot there ain't it?" he asked as Gabriel handed him his credit card.

"I like to be prepared." He answered.

"A Limey huh? We don't get many of your sort in here."

"Scottish, actually but close enough." The loafer bagged up the clothes and placed the bag on the counter.

"Infantry?" he asked

"Royal Marines." He answered, every member of the Outfit Program had to be connected to government forces; it was one of the requirements of service, especially for official functions. Gabe had been added to the RMC for his S&I and weapons training, it was either that or the Queen's 1st Regiment. Most of the Outfit had been placed within Support regiments like the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers or the Signals. Only Gabe and five others who comprised of the core of the assault and scout squads that had to be placed within infantry units.

"No shit?" He pushed up his left shirtsleeve to reveal a tattoo spelling out USMC. "I'm a corpsman too." He held out his right hand and Gabriel shook it. "Name's Benny."

"Gabriel." Gabe answered.

"Well pleased to meet ya, come back anytime now, ya'hear?" Gabriel nodded and left. He stepped away from the shop front and stopped. In front of him was the reason he had felt edgy, Fury was in front of him with four agents behind him, all acting casual but Gabe could tell the hands were holding pistols within their shoulder holsters.

"I'm placing you under arrest Gabriel, are you going to come quietly?" Fury asked quietly. Gabriel said nothing but raised his bags, he should have listened to Morigan when she panicked, he hadn't, and now he was screwed.


	12. Embittered Reunion

**Author's note:** _**Translated from Scots Gaelic.**_

**Unstable**

**Chapter 12**

**Embittered Reunion**

Gabriel and Fury stared at each other, neither moving. Gabriel was waiting for the Agents to arrest him and Fury was waiting for Gabriel to run, which he was sure he would, he had seen him set up the minivan for an easy escape when he was in the security room. He had seen him check out the boulders for weapon scars and he had seen the shifty act as he had ambled past the food court, no doubt about it, Gabriel was guilty of something. Gabriel stood with his arms halfway in the air for another quiet minute, still holding his bags of clothes and his arms were getting tired.

"Are going to shoot me if I drop my arms?" Gabriel asked slowly.

"Are you going to run?" Gabriel shook his head and slowly lowered his arms. Two of the agents closed in, one took the bags and the other gently gripped Gabriel by the forearm. An action that said 'We're being respectful now but try something funny and we'll be _really_ disrespectful'. Fury turned around and led the procession to the security room.

------------------------------------------------

Seven miles outside the town limits a motorcade slowly wound it's way through the interstate traffic, it was an inconspicuous line of grey saloon cars that no one except the truly observant would have taken notice of, the lead and follow cars were apart by a half mile with the VIP car meandering it's way through traffic followed closely by the gun car; a vehicle filled with armed bodyguards. The VIP picked up the car phone and dialled a Bayville number. The phone was picked up fairly quickly.

"Hello?" she asked.

"I'd like te speak wi' Charles Xavier." The VIP said in a gruff Scottish accent.

"May I ask who this is and what this is about?"

"Mah name is Conner McKinner, hen an' I'd like te speak te him aboot mah wayward son."

----------------------------------------

The security room wasn't what Gabriel had expected, which was a stark metal room with several rent-a-cops sitting at banks of monitors with a hundred views of the mall, instead it was a small room, kind of cosy, with a cardboard box labelled 'lost property' there were several wallets in there; most likely empty.

Gabriel was deposited in the only chair in the room and was placed in front of a television. Fury hit the play button on a connected VCR and let the tape run.

Gabriel instantly recognised the events from last night, problem was, only he, Logan and two kids Gabriel didn't recognise; there were no traces of Fury's kill team on the tape anywhere, it was a slick edit.

"So what have you got to say for yourself Gabe?" Gabriel kept his eyes on the screen, looking for a loophole in the tape.

"The direction's a little poor and there's no dialogue to speak of but all-in-all, a real nice work of fiction." He answered.

"Funny, Gabriel. Why did you shoot up the mall? Why were you chasing these two kids and what have you done with them?" Fury asked. Gabriel looked his boss directly in the eye, not blinking as he spoke.

"I didn't shoot up the mall, I've never met those kids and I don't know who or where they are."

"If you didn't then who did?" Fury asked. Gabriel glanced at the four agents.

"How high is their security clearance?"

"High enough." Fury answered.

"The Kill-team you sent after me last night shot up the mall, they tagged Logan in the skull by mistake then hit me in the shoulder." Fury nodded to an agent who pulled Gabriel's shirt down and checked the bandage. "Easy!" Heexclaimed as the bandage was pulled away from the still sticky wound.

"He's been hit, very recent too." The agent said.

"I need you to tell me everything that happened Gabriel." Gabriel recounted everything from the phone call to ditching the assault rifle in the alley. Fury looked thoughtful, he didn't speak until the four agents had been sent to retrieve the weapon. "There's no proof that I sent them Gabriel."

"They used 5.56 calibre G36C's Fury, the standard issue SHIELD rifle." Fury huffed a laugh.

"It is, or more specifically, it was two years ago before we switched to the P90 for the American and Canadian sections. We only use the G36 variants in our European outfits." Fury explained.

"So you got one of the foreign teams in." Fury grabbed the chair and spun it so Gabriel was facing him.

"For the last time, I'm not trying to kill you!" Gabriel stared back, his disbelief evidently etched on his face.

"STRIKE." He said quietly. Fury looked confused for a moment.

"What?"

"I managed to see the unit emblem of the team, it was the SHIELD eagle on a circle badge bordered with a silver scope-style crosshair with the acronym S.T.R.I.K.E in red, underlining the SHIELD one." He explained. Fury stepped back and leaned against a nearby desk.

"Are you sure?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"Perfectly."

"Then you can go, but keep your phone on and call Lyle if they attack again. We'll investigate on this end." Fury opened the security room door.

"Just like that?" Gabriel asked as he got up out of the chair.

"Just like that." Fury repeated, Gabriel gave him a dubious look but walked through the open door, fully expecting to be jumped and pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. "Just two more questions Gabriel." _Here we go_. Gabriel turned around. "Where are you staying?"

"You are a high ranking officer in the worlds most powerful intelligence network and you don't know where I'm even living?" Fury nodded slowly.

"We would but the trackers we placed about you're person seem to be, shall we say, experiencing difficulties." Gabriel grinned smugly.

"I'm staying with Xavier." He answered, Fury kept his face impassive but inside he was smiling, Gabriel was exactly where Fury needed him to be.

"And why were you here at the mall last night?" Fury asked.

"Because you phoned me and told me to be here." Gabriel answered.

-----------------------------------------

A couple of hours later Gabriel walked out of the mall and opened the minivan door, he had left the security room and headed to the nearest furniture store and ordered a reclining chair to be delivered to Xavier's; which had taken some major negotiation on Gabe's part. After that he continued buying his essentials and then inquired about the nearest car import dealer. Gabriel dropped his purchases in the back of the van without glancing at the bird in the front seat.

Gabriel lowered himself in to the driver's seat and buckled up, noticing an icy silence in the seat next to him. Looking down he saw Morigan, settled in the dimple of the seat, staring back with a smug 'I told you' look and thought.

"Alright, alright I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." He apologised. "But you could have said something instead of going batshit." Morigan bobbed her head in agreement and sent an apologetic thought. "Okay, let's head off." He said and started the van's engine and drove out of the parking lot.

Gabriel arrived back at the institute gates around twelve after two hours of negotiating for a right hand drive Subaru Impreza, not his first choice of vehicle but the Range Rover they had on lot was too expensive and there were no other cars that caught Gabriel's eye.

Gabriel drove slowly up the broken driveway to spare the vans suspension. As the construction work came into view so did three grey saloons with a dozen black suited bodyguards standing around them, watching him approach. One glance at the licence plates told him everything he needed to know. Gabriel slowed the van to a crawl and opened the garage door with a remote on the dashboard then followed the red track down the hanger. He shut off the engine and got out of the van, picking up his shopping, the remote and lifting a snoozing Morigan and cradling her in his arms. He hit the button for the dorm level and quietly waited, humming tunelessly.

The doors opened and Gabriel walked quickly to the dining table and placed his bags on it then Morigan, still sleeping, on the bags.

"Gabriel?" he heard Ororo call from the corridor.

"Yes, Ororo?" Gabriel turned around and followed her voice as she spoke.

"There's someone here to see you, he's very insistent." He saw her stop as she came into view.

"He usually is." Gabriel said "Xavier's office?" She nodded and turned to lead him there. Then his phone rang.

--------------------------------------------------

Fury stalked into the Bayville offices and slammed open Agent Barker's office door.

"Get me Captain Stevenson of STRIKE, now!" He bellowed, Lyle picked up his phone and dialled the switchboard. After a few minutes he nodded Fury's way, his boss picked up a nearby phone and waited for the other phone to pick up.

"This is Captain Stevenson." A dry English voice answered.

"Boss man, it's Fury." He said, all anger carfully hidden in his voice and a calm bright tone in it's place

"Afternoon Sir, What can I do for you?" Stevenson's voice picked up once he knew whom he was talking to.

"Yeah well it's still morning here." Fury replied "And what you can do for me is tell me is why you are operating in my backyard without permission?" He snapped.

"I don't know what your talking about Sir." Stevenson flustered. "My team are all in their offices reviewing the cold cases." He added.

"Then patch me through to…" Fury looked at a list that Lyle had pulled off for him quickly; it was the team roster for STRIKE. "Beta-2." He finished.

"Very well sir." The line clicked dead for a couple of seconds then re-rang.

"Staff Sergeant Cadence Walker here, good morning Colonel." A young clear female voice rang out over the phone.

"Don't you mean 'afternoon' Sergeant?"

"Not where you are Sir." Cadence replied coolly.

"What are you doing at the moment Sergeant?" He asked.

"Running through cold case seven-two Sir."

"Give me a quick brief."

"Sir?" Cadence asked.

"You heard me."

"Uh…okay, cold case seven-two is a homicide filed two and a half years ago. A thirty-nine year old Caucasian woman was tortured and killed in her home, 215 Eustace high-rise, Eustace road, Maidstone, Kent. No suspects and the woman was survived by her ex-husband." She recited.

"Primary investigators?"

"The Maidstone Police initially but it was bumped to MI5 then the Outfit once it was ascertained that at least two of her attackers were mutants." She answered primly. Fury looked in Barker's direction as the Bayville agent looked the relevant case up.

When the Outfit was absorbed into the spreading intelligence network of SHIELD all of its files were copied into the hard data storage on board the Triskelion.

Lyle quick-read the brief then nodded in Fury's direction.

"Who were the Outfits primary investigators?" Fury asked.

"Lieutenant Frost, myself and Corporal Kristonsdöttir with Lieutenant Raddick, Sergeant McKinner and Corporal Halley on standby."

"Thank you Sergeant that will be all." Fury hung up the phone and hung his head. "I don't get it, Gabriel has never seen the STRIKE unit patch but he described it perfectly and the only people in possession of that badge are four thousand miles away."

"They might not be colonel. The case she recited is the one that all of them can remember." He picked up his phone and dialled a cell number. "Agent Shift, it's Lyle I need to ask you a quick question." Fury didn't hear the other end of the conversation. "I need you to tell me about cold case seven-two." There was a pause as Lyle listened to Gabriel's reply. "Uh-huh, Okay thanks Gabriel, sorry 'bout that." He placed the phone back on its hook. "Case seven-two was the case concerning the death of Gabriel's mother, it was the first direct attack on the Outfit through team member's families." Lyle explained to his boss. "There were two more; cold case eight-five and cold case nine-six."

"So you think they would all have intimate knowledge of these cases?" Fury asked.

"Gabriel confirmed it, he referenced those and one other case by heart; cold case zero-one." Lyle called the case up and swivelled the monitor, Fury leant on the desk and read the file, then whistled. "What it has to do with three murdered parents is beyond me." Fury read the file again, silently agreeing with Lyle.

"No one else has referenced this case file, it might be a residual thread of his memory that our psychics weren't able to extract before we put him in the asylum." Fury offered.

"Could be sir but he did go AWOL for six months, maybe he found out something." Lyle replied.

"And we can't ask him because his memory's heavily fractured." Fury paused for a moment. "Put a couple of agents on this case. I want to be kept in the loop on this one."

"Your kept in the loop on every case, boss."

"Speaking of the loop, the Hardy case…"

"No headway so far, sir." Lyle answered.

"Tell Carter to keep at it."

-------------------------------------------------

Cadence dropped the phone back on its cradle and gave her partner, Corporal Marlyn Halley, a look of relief.

"You almost messed up right at the beginning there Cade." He said, Cadence nodded.

"And you almost messed up when we were faking that phone call to Gabriel, mistakes happen. I covered myself well though, didn't I?" She replied with a smile. Halley scoffed but didn't say anything. He looked out over the warehouse floor from the office they were using as a communication centre and watched Frost and Braddock arguing over their latest course of action, Cadence joined him at the window. "Are those two fighting _again_?" she asked. "Why do they insist on coming up with the plans together when they can't even agree on flight plans?"

"You heard about that?" Halley asked.

"I'm one office over from Betsy, of course I heard. Betsy wanted to use a no frills flight and Emma would only fly BA first class. They argued for two hours _just_ over that. We seriously need Stevenson over here to split those two up." She answered. By now Emma and Betsy's voices could be heard across the warehouse and every other member of STRIKE had stopped their various tasks to watch the argument, All Cadence and Marlyn heard was muffled shouting.

"What are they arguing about?" Cadence asked Marlyn, who was concentrating hard on the two telepath's lips.

"Where and when to ambush Gabriel and what they're going to do with him afterwards." He said slowly. He was just about able to read his superior's lips from this distance.

"Who's pushing for the execution?"

"Neither, they're both agreeing it's unnecessary Emma wants him re-incarcerated and Betsy wants him re-educated…oh dear." He said.

"What?"

"Betsy wants him to rejoin us, after some major psychotherapy." Halley paused as he read Betsy's lips. "Not good."

"_What?!_" Cadence asked again.

"Betsy's thinking of bringing Fury into the loop, to see if he'll help capture Gabe and put his head back on straight. Emma's disagreeing." He explained.

"So what else is new?" Cadence asked; Halley nodded silently in agreement. "Betsy's wrong, Gabriel needs locking up."

"In the deepest, darkest cell we can find." Halley added. "Everyone's siding with Emma. I think Betsy's lost this one." Cadence had a hard look on her face when she replied.

"Good."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriel placed the phone back in his pocket and stared at Xavier's office door in silence. He'd kept a few steps behind Ororo as he spoke in hushed tones.

"Problem?" Ororo asked when he stepped up beside her.

"Yeah, an old one." He replied desolately.

"If you ever need to talk about it Gabriel, I'm always ready to listen." She offered.

"Thanks Ororo but it's not something anyone should be burdened with." He opened the door and stepped in. The two adults sitting at the desk turned at the sound of the door closing. Gabriel nodded to Xavier "Professor." He greeted then looked down on the man in the chair opposite Xavier. "Consul." He said in a darker tone, making it obvious that he wasn't pleased to see the man. The consul got up out of the chair and stood before Gabriel, he was a clear foot taller than Gabriel and thicker around the waist. The look on his face was just as dark as Gabriel's.

"Is that anyway te greet yer own father?" He asked. Gabriel gave him a look of disgust.

"I'll greet you anyway I want…consul." Gabriel paused for a second before continuing. "Why are you here anyway?" He asked his father, who seemed to deflate when he answered.

"I wanted to see you, son." He said quietly, Gabriel wasn't swayed.

"Xavier, could you leave us for a couple of minutes please?" he asked the professor. The room was quiet until the door shut behind Xavier. "_**You've seen me, now leave!** _" Gabriel hissed in his native tongue, it hit Conner harder than if his son had hit him.

"Where did you learn to speak Gaelic?" he asked indignantly.

"_**Mam taught me, then Grandpa continued me education.**_" He explained.

"Stop speaking that language boy!" Conner shouted at his son.

"_bwyta fy gachu_.(1)" Gabriel intoned darkly. Conner shot Gabriel a cold hard stare, and found one looking straight back at him. "You're no father of mine Conner. Go back to that whore of yours and leave me be."

"You'll leave Genevieve oot of this." Conner ordered. "And ah'm no' leavin' till you tell me why."

"Why w_h_at?" he asked.

"Why did ye make your mother an' me think you were deid?" he asked painfully. "We were mighty grieved of your passing son."

"Don't lie to me, my mother grieved, you were just happy to be rid of me." Gabriel spat.

"You're mah son, Gabriel. Ah love you unconditionally lad." Conner sat on the edge of Xavier's desk. "Why would you chose a life so barbaric?" he asked quietly. Gabriel's rage subsided at the dejected look on his father's face.

"Because I had no choice dad, I was dying." Conner looked his son in the face, shock evident in his eyes.

"The doctors said you were stable, that you had a chance of living."

"As what? Every sense and muscle in me body had deteriorated to nothing. That isn't living it is merely existing." He paced around Xavier's desk. "And by the time Doctor Greerson came I was willing to do anything, _anything_ just to go for a _piss_ by myself!" Old rage bubbled up within Gabe again at the memory of his hospitalisation and the humiliation of having to call a nurse in to help him relieve himself. Conner stood up and turned, resting his knuckles on the table.

"Doctor _Joseph_ Greerson?" He asked; Gabriel nodded his assent. "Do you know who that is?"

"He was a soldier turned scientist who specialised in genetics. He's the man who gave me a life to lead…" Gabriel paused for a moment "…and he betrayed me and my team and sold vital secrets to several terrorist groups." Conner saw a familiar look in Gabriel's eye, one he'd seen in his own father a couple of times before.

"He wes also yer mother's boss." He told Gabriel who looked back disbelievingly for a moment, but saw his father was serious and dropped the look.

"Mum sent him didn't she?"

"Ah wouldnae ken but every time he an' yer mother worked together, bad things happened." Conner answered.

"I hate to say it, but I believe you." Gabriel hung his head. "So what now?"

"I dinnae ken tha' neither." His father answered. "Losin' you w's hard, son. It had a bad impac' on yer mother n' me. We separated the year after we buried yer." Conner added.

"I didn't know." Gabriel said quietly. "Dad, I'm sorry." Gabriel whispered. "I'm sorry for hurting you and mum, I'm sorry for everything I did when I was younger and I'm sorry that you had to find out this way." Both were silent for a moment.

"Whom do ye work for?" Conner asked.

"The UNCIGC." Gabriel answered.

"The _whit_?"

"The United Nations Combined Intelligence Groups Committee. It's the central hub for all the UN initiate countries' main intelligence groups; CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6, IDF, JID etc." Gabriel explained "SHIELD." He added.

"So yer working for MI6?"

"That's classified." Gabriel answered "But no."

"Will ye tell me whom yer working fer."

"No." Gabriel answered with finality.

"It's probably fer the best." Conner straightened up and picked up a briefcase that had lain beside the chair. "I had better go."

"Okay, da'." Conner walked to the door and pushed the handle down. "Dad." Conner turned. "If you ever need any help…" He offered.

"I ken son, an' the same here." His father said "An' I'd like ye to visit me a' the consulate sometime." He opened the door, where Gabe could see Xavier and Ororo outside in the hall.

"I will da'." Gabe said. "As soon as I get some time to." Conner nodded then turned back and exited the office, nodding a goodbye to Xavier and Ororo, who left to show him out. Xavier wheeled himself into his office and sized up his newest student.

"That seemed to go well." He said after a pause, Gabriel barked a laugh.

"Well? Compared to what I was expecting from him that went swimmingly. Maybe his wife is having a good effect on him." He mused.

"Or maybe you've changed from a troubled boy into an adult he respects?" Xavier offered. Gabriel checked the professor's eye's to see if he was joking.

"Maybe." He said finally.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) translated from Welsh, it means: (lit.) Eat my excretion. Charming people, the Welsh. Eh?


	13. Information

**Unstable**

**Chapter 13**

**Information**

Ten minutes had past since Conner McKinner's visit to the Institute and Gabriel had a short chat with Xavier over nothing at all, passing time until Hank was finished sorting through some medical supplies. Once he had, Gabriel made his way alone down to the med bay where Hank was waiting with the refrigeration unit open.

"I've been wracking my brains all day trying to figure out what this stuff is Gabriel, I know it's classified but surely you can give me a hint." Hank said by way of greeting the Briton.

"Sorry Hank but I can't tell you diddly but the technology isn't completely top secret" Gabriel answered in a conspiracy style voice. "It's been mentioned and theorised in some major science periodicals if that helps." He added and reached into the unit and took out the vial, now filled with something that looked like steel filings. Hank turned around and picked up a copy of _Scientific American_; a recent issue that had more than a few articles on mutants. Gabriel checked to see if Hank's concentration was elsewhere before opening the vial, and emptying the contents into his mouth and swallowing quickly. He put the tube into a nearby sterilising unit to clean it. "Okay now that's sorted out Hank I'm going to check out the Institutes security, I'll see you later." Gabe didn't wait for any answer from Hank, pushed the button to open the slide doors and left. Hank watched him go silently then, once he was sure Gabriel had left, he opened a second refrigeration unit and pulled out a second vial that held a small dimple of Gabriel's tainted blood. He held it up to the light and scratched his chin with his free hand, he didn't see Gabriel peeking through a slither of space in the sliding doors, he wasn't angry and he'd figured Hank wouldn't be able to let go. He allowed the doors to shut completely and walked away, rubbing his throat to ease the pain from swallowing the deactivated nanites.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Where are we on tracking the target's position?" Betsy asked her communications expert, Millie Qi.

"We've tried hacking into NORAD controlled satellites but they're managing to block us out. We tried surveillance footage but the camera's tracked them to the edge of town and no further." Millie, her actual name Mai Li, answered.

"Hmmm." Betsy mused, thinking about a possible solution. "Where did the cameras last track them to?" She asked Qi who punched up the town map on her computer screen; it was complete with camera positions tacked on.

"The eastern entrance of…Gray Maulkin Lane." She answered after checking the map. "Strange name considering it's close to two miles long."

"How many civilians live along it?"

"Thirty." Qi answered. "But the majority live in one place: sixteen-oh-seven. They're mainly school kids." She added.

"Who owns the property?"

"The current owner is one Professor…no way." Qi gasped. "This is Xavier's institute."

"Professor _Charles_ Xavier lives there?" Betsy asked leaning over Qi's shoulder and looking at the screen. "That's where Gabriel is; tell Emma to gather a small team to move closer in, see if there are any empty residences close by." Qi activated a quick search and came up with a good property.

"Half a mile east of Xavier's and its five metres higher above sea level, perfect for surveillance ma'am." Betsy nodded to Qi to signify a job well done and left to prepare for a meeting with the estate agent.

--------------------------------------------------

The institutes security room was, to Gabe, surprisingly small; the room was the just larger than a broom closet, with only five television screens to monitor the whole complex, the bulk of camera's were in public areas: Dining room/kitchenette, hanger, lift, briefing room, etc. Gabriel was appalled by the lax security but understood Xavier's desire to keep his students and faculty's private lives just that.

Gabriel tapped a couple of buttons and changed one of the interior screens to an exterior one and watched the construction workers do their business.

"Shouldn't you be watching the British SS leave, Gabriel?" A voice behind the British operative asked. Gabriel didn't need to turn around to know who it was behind him.

"The British Secret Service is as reliable as a Swiss-made watch Logan. They'll leave one second after the VIP does, guaranteed" He answered and typed an external camera code into the computer, it showed three British sedans leaving the outer reaches of the institute. "Operating like clockwork, Logan." Logan picked up on Gabriel's turmoil but allowed the SHIELD agent to ramble on his own conversational tract. "Wouldn't expect anything else." Logan was about to voice his views when Gabriel voiced his. "The British Empire controlled the, then known, world a century ago. Looking after one minor VIP, shouldn't be a problem."

Logan leaned on Gabriel's chair and watched the one screen that dealt with the exiting intruders. "But you still don't trust them." He noticed.

"I wouldn't trust Lloyds leading banker." Gabriel answered.

"I'll assume that's a 'no' then."

"Yup." Gabriel confirmed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Across the country in an RV deep in the Redwood forests, a phone rang. An old man with thinning brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses picked it up.

"Dr. Patronete." He said.

"Doctor, It's Hank McCoy." Patronete stiffened in surprise. He remembered his first encounter with Hank McCoy when he had been mistaken for Bigfoot.

"McCoy?! I saw you on the news a week ago fighting that giant robot, and your speech before congress too, that must have been difficult."

"Yes, it's been a trying time, listen I've got a favour to ask you. Could you give me your E-mail address? I have something I want you to look at." Patronete recited the RV's address and put the phone down, he sat at the workstation fired his laptop up and opened its inbox. There was one piece of mail with a single attachment, when Patronete opened it he was looking at the magnified picture of the grey ovoid. He picked the phone up again.

"What exactly am I looking at Hank?" he asked.

"That's the uh, that's the problem. I just don't know and since you're closer to the science community than I am for obvious reasons, I thought you could ask around for me." Hank explained.

"That doesn't explain what I'm looking at." Patronete countered.

"It's a magnification of a subjects blood, I found the strange ovoid shapes mixing with the plasma. I need to know what they are." Hank reiterated.

"I'm a biological anthropologist Hank, this looks way out of my field…no wait." He added and leaned closer "This does look familiar, give me a second." He opened up his Internet explorer and typed in a site address. "Okay Hank I'm sending you some files."

"Okay, shoot." Hank answered and then paused while he waited for the files to arrive and then scanned them quickly once they had. "Doctor, I'm not seeing any similarity between this picture and mine." The picture on Hank's monitor was a magnification of a subject's blood but instead of metallic ovoid objects there where distinct pyramids shapes.

"Bear with me on this Hank What you are looking at is twenty years of research into nano-technology, there are two kinds 'top-down' and 'bottom-up'. Top-down consist mainly with nano-tech applications dealing with technology and mechanics. It works on an evolutionary track, incremental changes through every upgrade to refine the technology." Patronete explained. "A couple of its uses are in building transistors and engine cam-shafts."

"I'm still not seeing the relevance doctor."

"Nano-tech was first theorised by a physicist call Richard Feynman, while a bulk of his theory dealt with the mechanical prospects one of the things he touched upon was cellular scale surgery, which fits into the bottom-up category along with molecular reconstruction." Hank drank the facts in.

"You seem to have a good grasp for someone who doesn't know the field doctor."

"I'm reading clip notes McCoy." Patronete replied with a smile. "But it doesn't stop there. From cellular surgery, which officially hasn't happened yet, there was the next step; an immuno-support network, which I think is what you've got there, the ovoid shaped Nanites are supporting your subjects immune system and possibly, judging by the lack of antibodies, replacing it completely. A better look at a blood sample might give a better clue." He finished.

"That's going to be a problem, these…Nanites…degraded the sample, and seem to be slowly degrading themselves, I have it on good authority they go so far as to turn themselves into gas." Hank told him.

"That's strange, as far as I can gleam nanites are single function machines except…wait." Hank stiffened.

"What?"

"There's a paper theorising a Nanite application called a molecular computer, it literally discusses turning the human body into a walking, talking computer, interesting stuff. It says here something about…re-arranging the body's molecular structure to increase the hosts' survival in any situation." Patronete paused. "You're subject, Hank, is a walking Nobel Peace Prize. Where'd he get that level of technology?" he asked.

"He won't say." Hank admitted. "He's high-rank military and keeps giving me and my colleagues the clichéd 'classified' routine." Beast added.

"Ah." Patronete intoned. "That old _shtick_."

------------------------------------------------------------

"So why were British Secret Service here?" Logan asked, he sat next to Gabriel on a spare chair, feet up on the desk and a cup of coffee on his hands. Gabriel rolled his head then his eyes towards the Canadian.

"Like you don't already know." He said.

"Fair point." Logan conceded, "So your dad didn't have a clue about what you did?"

"No, I would have preferred it if he still didn't know but it was…good… to see him I s'pose." A low, loud buzzing sound stopped Logan's reply, an intercom system next to the bank of CCTV monitors, Logan pressed the call button and motioned to Gabriel to switch one of the camera's to the front gate, a panel truck had stopped at the gates, one of the occupants, a male, had got out to use the intercom.

"Who is it?" Logan growled.

"I have a delivery for a Mr Hale?" The voice sounded young, Gabriel leaned closer to the intercom.

"This is Mr Hale, I'll buzz you through." Gabriel reached across to hit the button to open the gates.

"Could you come to us please Mr Hale?" Gabriel glanced at Logan, who gave him a meaningful look in return.

"Why?" Gabriel asked darkly.

"We'd uh, just prefer it that way sir." The voice answered nervously, Gabe took his hand away from the button and stood up with a sigh.

"I'll be there in a minute…" He answered then flicked the intercom off "…you bigoted, hill-bill, fudge packing streak of piss." He finished; he opened the door and looked back at Logan. "You coming? I figure we could show these idiots the more _human_ side to this place."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Logan and Gabriel slowly paced up the cracked drive towards the gates. The young delivery boy was still standing by the intercom, watching them approach.

"Any particular way you feel like playing this?" Gabriel asked the older mutant.

"I'll let you take the lead." Logan replied. They walked up to the gate.

"Okay gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?" Gabe asked in his best BBC accent.

"We're not going any farther than here." The youth answered, and he was pretty young as far as Gabriel could see, eighteen if he was a day. He glanced up in the panel truck cab to get a look at the driver, who was old; in his late thirties at best and his flabby upper body showed that this had been his only job.

"When I bought this chair from your store I paid for a delivery, in fact, I paid double; so you will be delivering my purchase." Gabriel said, putting some edge into his voice. The delivery boy looked back into the truck cab for guidance, giving Gabriel a clear view on who was in charge here. Gabriel nodded to Logan who opened the gates and they both walked through, Logan stopped by the boy and Gabriel walked by him and opened the passenger side door of the panel truck. "Out, now." He ordered the driver, who got out and stood beside his colleague, Logan backed off. "I paid seventy dollars for delivery alone, either you get in your crappy truck and put that chair down where I specified or you hand me my money back." The driver immediately pulled out his wallet and pulled some notes out of it and dropped them on the ground, he then headed for the back of the truck. "And your pallet truck." The driver stopped.

"What?"

"Do you think I am going to do my back in lugging a chair across mutant moor when you pecker-necks have a perfectly good truck to use? I think not." Gabriel walked around to the back of the truck and grabbed the handle for the rear door; a hand grabbed his and forced it off.

"Get your hands offa my truck, mutie."

_SNICKT!!_

"Let go of his hand, bub." Logan ordered. He was a-resting; claws out, against the back of the truck behind Gabriel so the driver had a clear view. The driver let Gabriel go and backed away. Gabe pulled the door open and heaved the pallet truck out onto the drive. It was basically a piece of wood with two axles and four chunky wheels bolted onto it with a handle to pull it on to finish.

"Perfect." Gabriel said and pulled himself into the van and found his order, a leather recliner with matching footstool, and dragged the items to the rear of the van. Gabe hopped out of the back and looked towards the delivery crew. "Are you going to do your fricken' job or lay about like the rednecks you are?" he asked angrily, neither human moved or talked. "Bloody rednecks." Gabriel hissed under his breath and manhandled the chair out with help from Logan. Once it was on the pallet truck the footstool was quickly dealt with. Gabriel pulled the truck through the gates and ignored the driver and his partner. He and Logan heard the truck drive off minutes later. "It's idiots like that who make life just that bit more intolerable." Gabriel noted.

"Threatening them wasn't exactly a good plan, spook." Logan admonished him as the walked through the temporary car park for the construction vehicles.

"I guess you're right, I'm just hoping the guy delivering my car doesn't have the same problem."

"Car?" Logan asked.

"You didn't expect me to keep borrowing the minivan did you?"

"It's not that spook." Logan said as the stopped at the elevator. "You don't have a licence." Gabriel stopped pulling the pallet truck and fished out his wallet, he handed it to Logan who looked at his drivers licence.

"It's British, but it should hold up to scrutiny." Logan handed the wallet back.

"Conner Hale?" Logan asked him as the elevator rose up from the floor.

"Officially Gabriel McKinner died eight years ago, SHIELD protocol for all employees, including freelancers, is to be placed upon the UN official taskforce listings, Gabriel couldn't be seen to be associated with SHIELD so Conner Hale was created. So for official reasons and functions, such as monetary transactions, I'm Conner Hale: Agent of SHIELD." It took a bit of wrangling to fit the two of them and the truck into the elevator but they managed.

"When's your transport supposed to arrive?"

"In a couple of hours time hopefully." The elevator stopped on the dormitory floor and the pair strolled through into the dining area, truck in tow. It didn't take long to manhandle the chair into place and take the truck back up to the surface and give it to the construction crews for whatever they would need it for.

Back in the dorm area, after Logan had wandered off to talk to Charles. Gabriel sat down slowly in the chair with a satisfied groan and sunk back into the chair and closed his eyes.

"Gabriel?" Gabriel heard Ororo call him, he opened his eyes to see the weather witch standing by him.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Xavier asked me to find you, he wants to see you." She explained, Gabriel gave another groan, but of annoyance, and levered himself out of the chair.

"Again?" he asked. "I was just beginning to relax." He stretched and fell in to step behind Ororo.

"So, why did you buy a chair?" Ororo asked him.

"To sleep in, I find beds…uncomfortable." He lied. They quickly found themselves outside Xavier's office and walked straight in. Xavier and Logan were seated, two extra chairs had been placed either side of the Canadian.

"Ah, Gabriel, Ororo, please sit. There are things we need to discuss." They took their seats and listened to what happened to Logan earlier in the day with Colossus, and then because Gabriel didn't know the particulars of the Sentinel attack, they filled Gabe in on the run-in with Magneto's new, more experienced team. Gabriel sat quiet while the three mutants told him what had happen in the previous week.

"And now." Xavier finished. "Magneto is putting forth this invitation for all oppressed mutants to join him."

"And you think he'll be extending it to any mutant he can find?" Gabriel surmised. "The problem is, short of you breaking into the minds of every mutant alive and making their minds up for them; we can't do a bloody thing about it."

"We can show them that there is a better option." Ororo said; Gabriel twisted in his chair to address her.

"That comes down to the individual's point of view, I'm sure you and Magneto have entirely different opinions on what the better option _is_." He countered. "I mean we all know what _Mystique's_ answer to Magneto's 'invite' was and I can pretty much figure what your answers would be, but how can you convince a fifteen year old kid who's been victimised that co-existence is the way to go?" He asked rhetorically. Xavier answered it anyway.

"Through patience and understanding, Gabriel." Gabriel scoffed but didn't answer. "Now, I think that we need to take Magneto's new tactic seriously, see who he asks and get as much information as possible on them and Magneto's team of mutants. Gabriel, start with Colossus; see what you can dig up on him that we can use to bring him over to our corner." Gabriel stood up.

"You got it Prof.." He said and left the room, passing Hank as he went, he nodded a greeting to Beast and continued on his way. Beast didn't knock on Xavier's door but pushed straight on through.

"I finally figured out what those machines in Gabriel's blood are professor." He handed Xavier all the files Patronete had sent him, while Charles read the files Hank filled in Logan and Ororo on what he had found in Gabriel's blood earlier that morning. It didn't take long. "These nanites are decades ahead of their time, a level of technology that the worlds' armed forces just doesn't posses." He finished.

"So what are you saying Hank?" Logan asked.

"What I'm saying, Logan is that Gabriel wasn't created by the military but for it. There may be more like Gabriel, possibly working opposite Gabriel and with him here, it will become increasingly more likely that we'll run into these individuals."

"How can you tell that?"

"I performed a variety of test on the nanites and found that they send out a low level radio emission, they talk to each other and I presume that they can recognise another host with their own nanite colony." Hank paused "The machines on their own are fairly limited in intelligence but around a hundred thousand are as smart as a commercial PC, Gabriel has around ten million in his system, working together they would put a supercomputer to shame, and I think we can tap this power."

"Tap it, how Hank?" Xavier asked.

"So far the Nanites within Gabriel are only supplementing his immune system, fighting infection and shoring his biological defences and it is only taking a fraction of the colony's computing power to do this, we might be able to add programs into these machines and make them do more like share information and memories, enhance Gabriel's vision, speed, healing ability. The nanites can take apart human tissue and create anything with it, giving Gabriel a boost should be easy by comparison."

"Look into it Hank." Xavier said quietly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to call Forge and have him help me on this."

"Whatever you need Hank."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Gabriel slumped in front of a computer, three floors further down from the dorm level and closer to the supercomputer's memory banks and communications array. He was watching footage of the sentinel attack from the BBC website using his all access pass, an ID that allowed him into the inner workings and source files of the news stories. There was no sign of Colossus or anyone that the X-men had described. Gabriel pulled everything that the BBC had been sent via Bayville local news, what they showed on TV and what they edited out; he was sure that the money the BBC would have thrown around for the footage would secure it all.

He found Magneto being crushed but nothing of his team. Time to get creative. Gabriel typed in a seemingly random address and hit GO; the screen was blank for a minute then the SHIELD emblem appeared on his screen with a request for a password. He dug into one of the large pockets on his cargo trousers and pulled out the ovoid object fury had handed him, he placed it on the desk by the keyboard and pushed a hidden recess and the ovoid opened like a clamshell, inside was a grid of red LED's and an USB cable, which Gabriel connected to both the ovoid and the computer and waited until they were synchronised and the LED grid punched out a four digit code: 7L2V. Gabriel tapped the code into the password field and was rewarded with a second password request, another code popped up on the small decoder: H9TI. This was typed in also. This time a menu dropped down and a window popped up with a question:

**BARKER: **_**What is it Shift?**_

Gabriel ran the mouse down the menu and tapped the option marked: File Request, then replied to Lyle.

**SHIFT:**_** I'm looking for extra footage on the Sentinel attack; I'm trying to track down Magneto's crewmembers. There's nothing on the news footage but I'm thinking that CCTV might have picked something up.**_

The main window switched to a search engine, Gabriel typed in CCTV, SENTINEL and MUTANT. He figured that might be enough to find what he was looking for.

**BARKER: **_**Why?**_

And there it is, three views of four mutants stepping into metal orbs and flying away.

**SHIFT: **_**Doesn't matter, I've found it. Could you connect me to the SHIELD facial recognition program?**_

The screen changed once more and the CCTV footage had shrunk into the top right corner with four white box outlines over each of the faces, they were blown up and columned under the original footage and the rest of the screen showed a headshot shadow with 'BEGIN SEARCH Y/N?' Gabriel tapped the enter key and the headshot shadow blurred while the computer ran through every single headshot SHIELD had within it's known mutant records.

**BARKER: **_**Done, now will you tell me why? Don't make me pull rank.**_

The computer gave an estimated time for the search as two hours; Gabriel leaned back in the chair and got comfortable.

**SHIFT:**_** There's a possibility that one of Magneto's people is being blackmailed into working for him, I'm just trying to figure out what he's being blackmailed with.**_

**BARKER: **_**Make sure you send us your results, Shift; we'll do what we can on this end.**_

**SHIFT: **_**While you're on Barker, I need my uniform and blades back ASAP.**_

BARKER: _You got it, your uniform has been upgraded and your weapons also, we've also got a couple of prototypes we'd like you to try out._

SHIFT: _Sounds fun, when and where's the drop?_

BARKER: _No drop, it'll be in the boot of your car._

Gabriel sat up and stared at the computer.

BARKER: _Don't get your panties in a bunch Shift; we monitor your bank account._

Gabriel felt like thumping the computer desk.

BARKER: _You might want to get to the gates Gabriel; your car will be arriving soon._

Gabriel hauled himself out of the chair and headed for the elevator.


	14. Moving

**Unstable**

**Chapter 14**

**Moving**

Gabriel walked up to the gates, wondering if Fury knew about the warehouse that the stolen APC was housed in and what he was going to do to get SHIELD out of his fiscal affairs. He stopped as two cars pulled into view on the grass verges either side of the gate, neither of them were his silver Subaru, both were black sedans, Gabe figured one was a GM and the other looked German, possibly an Audi. Two people got out of the German sedan and approached the gate, Gabe recognised one of them instantly, Fury. Gabe opened the gate and raised a hand in a half-salute half-greeting.

"What can I do for you boss?" he asked as he walked out of the institute grounds, he looked through the windscreen of the other sedan, a Lincoln and waved to Agent Carter, she didn't seem too happy playing chauffer to…Gabriel couldn't see anyone in the back of the car.

"Actually Gabe, it's what I can do for you." Fury walked around the back of the car with his human shadow a half step behind him. "Freelancer McKinner, Agent Quatermain." He introduced the two who shook hands and professional-like nods. "Quatermain is one of my leading New York operatives, Gabriel, he has asked for your help on a small investigation he's heading up, I decided to introduce the two of you now so no misunderstandings could arise between his team and your controller." Gabriel took a overall look at Quatermain, he was taller than Gabriel and larger around the shoulders, black hair and brown eyes finished off a face that had professional written through, Gabriel doubted that Quatermain knew how to tell a joke.

"Okay, Let me know when you think you'll need me and I'll be on call." Gabriel said to Quatermain, he turned his attention to Fury before continuing. "Lyle told me my car was arriving around now."

"Yeah, I saw it." Quatermain interjected. "Looked horrible." Gabriel shrugged. Gabriel immediately recognised the voice as the task force leader from a week ago.

"I didn't buy it to aesthetically please me I bought it 'cause it was cheap and it would do everything I needed it to."

"Unfortunately Gabriel, a part of this job is image and having someone represent me and this organisation in a silver junk heap would be counter-productive and an embarrassment to SHIELD." Gabriel didn't speak. "So, I talked to the importer you used and convinced him to give us an appropriate vehicle for the same price." He handed Gabriel the keys to the Audi. "It's been upgraded inside and out with what we could without sacrificing performance and your gear is in the boot, Quatermain will fill you in from here." Fury nodded his goodbye and got into the Lincoln behind Carter, Quatermain beckoned Gabe to the boot of the Audi. He unlocked the trunk and shuffled over to the side so Gabriel could see Quatermain pull a switch that opened a hidden compartment beneath the boot. Inside the compartment were the usual items Gabe used on the job; uniform, lock picks set, wideband com-link, throwing knives, combat knife, short sword and a PDA, all in their individual cut-out niches. Along with his items were two extra's in their own niches, one looked like a blocky handgun and the other looked like a laser pointer. Quatermain pinched the laser pointer from its place along with the com-link, which he gave to Gabriel. Gabe fitted the com-link over his ear and adjusted the earpiece and mike. Quatermain turned the laser pointer on and pointed it at the Audis rear window; Gabe could hear the radio chatter from the CB.

"This is a laser-mike, it reads the vibrations from any surface and changes that into sound, the techno-weenies are lookin for a way to turn this into a reliable military local com-system. And this…" The agent replaced the laser-mike, picked up the gun and hefted it; it looked like it weighed a bit, underneath were four six-inch long battery packs in further recesses. "…This is a pulse-pistol, it fires a magnetic pulse that will stun an opponent for at least twenty minutes at ranges in excess of a hundred metres, it's entirely made of plastics and ceramics." He passed the weapon to Gabe; it _was_ fairly heavy. "The weapon had a curious side effect against inorganic matter, it reduces weak materials like wood and glass to splinters and warps strong materials like metal." Gabriel put the gun back.

"It should come in useful." He pushed the switch back and watched the compartment become hidden again.

"I've placed the relevant files for this side job in your glove compartment along with a full list of what these gadgets can and can't do, I'll call you if I need you." Quatermain nodded a goodbye and handed Gabriel the keys and got in the front passenger seat of the Lincoln beside Carter. Gabriel walked around to the right side of the car and opened the door. He waved as the Lincoln drove by but didn't look up; he put the key in the ignition and started the car, he reversed the car and drove slowly down the drive, taking wide lines around the parked construction vehicles. He stopped at the garage doors and pulled out a garage door opener he had pulled of the van and continued down the ramp. He parked the sedan farther back from the lift doors so no one would have an excuse for looking in to the vehicle. Gabriel reached across the car and pulled out two brown file folders from the glove box before getting out and locking the car, he was back in the computer room in ten minutes quietly reading the mission file while the facial recognition program ran it's search.

The file was pretty sparse; it was filled mainly with photos all including the same costumed character. The first photo was of the target and a spandex wearing wrestler grappling with each other, the target was wearing an all over suit and mask in red and blue and the one after it, same guy, same costume but with black lines running across it and a black spider insignia across the chest. Description details on the target were painfully vague; it ran thus:

Target: Spider-man 'alias unknown'

Height: 5'11"

It ended there; no wonder Quatermain was having trouble.

------------------------------------------------------------

Hank was hunkered over a microscope looking at a sample of nanites as they slowly cannibalised each other.

"Hmmm." He said and pushed a button on a Dictaphone "The Nanites extend their run time by absorbing their weaker counterparts resources." He said into the Dictaphone "I presume this is what the nanites initially do to the host's tissue once they are extradited from the host's bio-electrical field, I surmise that this level of nano-technology runs on the human body's own electrical field and possibly enhances a hosts biology towards that particular end." Hank was concentrating hard and didn't hear the doors to the lab slide open or a young Native American boy walk up behind him.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, making Hank jump on his stool.

"Forge!" Hank exclaimed and got off of the stool to shake the boy's hand. "You made good time, here have a look at this." Hank motioned to the microscope. Forge sat down and leaned over the scope; he looked for a couple of seconds before raising his head and looking directly at Hank with a quizzical look.

"What are they?" he asked.

"The machines are called nanites, they bolster the human body and enhance it." Hank explained.

"Far out man, I looked into doing something like this before I zapped myself into the nth dimension." He lowered himself to the microscope once more. "Are they…eating each other?"

"That's a simple way of putting it." Hank said with a smile.

"So the nanites feed on each other, presumably to extend their life span but; why?" Forge asked aloud.

"You talk about them like they're alive."

"Well from a technical point of view; they are. They consume energy to survive towards a greater purpose, they have a limited lifespan and they can produce offspring of their own." Forge leaned back from the scope. "My one experiment was using a colony of three thousand of these things to build a hi-ball glass." He explained when Hank gave him a questioning look. "They got halfway before they ran out of power, my theory was that they ran out of energy and needed to create copies of themselves to follow their program." Hank pulled his now depleted sample of Gabriel's nanites.

"And it's this moment I tell you why I asked you here, I believe we might be able to add programs to these nanites that will spread among the original colony." Hank said and placed the test tube of nanites into a rack by the microscope.

"Any idea how you would reintroduce the reprogrammed nanites?" Forge asked as he grabbed the test tube and held it to the light; the powder had now turned to fog. "We're going to need a new sample."

"I'll have to look into that." Hank answered. "I'll see about the sample, I'm expecting Gabriel to visit in a few hours for a check up."

------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the computer room Gabriel was still leafing through the Spider-man file Quatermain had given him when the computer program finished it's search and displayed its results. Gabe closed the folder and clicked the first name on the screen: Sabretooth, known alias, Sabretooth. The SHIELD file ran like the rap sheet of a sociopath, there were at least seven counts of known murder and a suspected count leading into three figures. The next file was almost as bad: Remy LeBeau, known alias, Gambit. The file was filled with counts of petty theft, grand larceny and a few counts of assault and battery and one murder. The next was relatively small, a couple of arson charges on St. John Allerdyce aka Pyro. The last was the main one, but also the sparsest: Colossus, known alias, Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin. His file only consisted of a few notes, it had only been started a week ago but it did have a little information about his family; mother, father and older brother Mikhail, all dead, the only surviving members of the Rasputin family were Piotr and his sister Illyana, whereabouts unknown. Piotr never entered the country through any airports or harbours but was first seen in the US roughly three months ago in a grocery store, on his own, Illyana nowhere in sight. Gabriel pulled open a drawer and found a blotter and wrote down all the information in shorthand. He pulled his decoder and shut the PC off. He was back in front of Xavier's door within ten minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Two black vans meandered their way along Grey Maulkin lane, slowing but not stopping at the gates of the institute and then carried on up the tree-lined lane. Betsy, in the lead van, looked out of the passenger window at the partially constructed mansion.

"I remember coming to this place a few years ago, it reminded me of home." She said wistfully as the view of the mansion passed by the window, Qi, who was driving, glanced at her superior.

"You were here?" She asked.

"Yeah, Xavier was holding a fundraising event and my father, brother and myself were invited to attend." They rounded a slow bend away from the institute.

"So you've met the X-men?" Qi asked.

"No, they weren't around then, they were the point of the fundraising, well the concept of them really." Betsy paused "Xavier was careful about his selection of guests, he chose mutants mainly but there were one or two normal humans who were Xavier's benefactors since he started the institute." A break in the foliage on the right signified the entrance to another house along the road; the vans passed them, and the next two after that before they finally slowed down and turned into a paved drive of a house that was around half the size of Xavier's with two tall turrets in the north and south corners, The drive split into a long sweeping circle that passed by the front steps which the vans stopped by. Qi shut off the engine and unbuckled her seat belt.

"Why would Xavier have an institute built before he had students?" Qi asked as she dropped down from the high seat onto the tarmac. She walked around to the rear of the van, nodding to Tobias as he made his way out of the other vans drivers seat, and met Betsy at the back of the van.

"I didn't say he didn't have any students, just that the X-men weren't there." Betsy opened the rear doors of the van and beckoned Marlyn, Cadence and Tobias out.

"So he had students?" Qi asked as she picked up a metal case.

"Just the one that I saw." Betsy answered, picking up the twin of Qi's case. "A young girl Xavier had met in Afghanistan. Didn't catch her name." They hauled the cases up the stone stairs and through the oak front doors, inside the other members of STRIKE were depositing various boxes in several rooms, all the while looking around their new home.

"Very nice." Emma said out of sight in the dining room.

"Reminds me of the Outfit's receiving house." Marlyn noted from the kitchen "We'll have to head into town and get some supplies."

"Let's just get everything inside and set up first." Betsy answered. "Computers and surveillance gear in the study." She ordered. "The living room will be the down time area, likewise for the dining room and kitchen, decide amongst yourselves who gets which room. Tobias come with me, I'll show you the lookout."

------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriel opened the door to Xavier's office immediately after knocking, Logan was still in his seat but Ororo wasn't. Gabriel stood in front of Xavier's desk, off to the side so he could see Logan.

"I've pulled everything I could about this Colossus guy, it isn't much I'm afraid." He told the both of them. "His name's Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin. He's a Russian immigrant who's here illegally, Magneto's doing. His Parents and older brother are dead but he has a little sister, I think she's the weak link in his armour that Magneto's exploiting. We find Illyana and I reckon Piotr will defect from the Acolytes to join the X-men." He dropped the blotter on the desk for Xavier to review.

"He might just go back to Russia." Logan said after a moment.

"Without either a passport or a truckload of money, he's stuck here. Most smuggling operations are used to get people into the country, the ones Piotr would need are mainly used and run by organised crime, unaffiliated 'customers' would have to pay dearly for a ride out of America." Gabriel answered "It's the same with every western country." He added.

"What if he decides to separate himself and Illyana? Just make it by themselves?" Xavier asked.

"This isn't a professional opinion but I don't think that he would do that, I reckon he would accept any help going. It's just too risky otherwise." Gabriel paused for a moment. "The fact of the matter is that I don't have any idea what he will do once he's beyond Magneto's control." He sat down in Ororo's vacated seat and leaned back to get comfortable. "Regardless of how and why he's with Magneto we still need to consider him an enemy combatant, taking Magneto out of the picture could make him change his allegiance or it could do nothing to change his mind, we won't know until it happens." He shrugged.

"Well that was vague." Logan commented.

"I'm not a profiler Logan, I _don't know_ what he'll do." He snapped. "All I can tell you is he has a sister, he was last seen in a grocery store upstate buying milk, eggs and cheese, he paid in cash, there's no evidence of him using a vehicle to arrive or leave and above all I know that his sister was not with him. These things I know beyond all doubt, given time I could tell you the store's name, who served him, what they talked about and whether he was given the right change. I could tell you if he was calm, nervous or angry by watching his body language on the tape and what he was going to do in that particular moment, beyond that I haven't got the faintest clue." The room was quiet for a second while the each thought on the problem. Finally Xavier spoke.

"I want the two of you to work on the problem, find Piotr's sister, free her and bring Colossus to our side." Gabriel and Logan nodded then left the professor in peace. Outside his office both adults looked at each other.

"Well this bites." Gabriel said finally and headed back to the communal room, Logan was by his side and answering him instantly.

"It's not gonna be easy that's for sure." Logan agreed.

"I mean it's damn near impossible to find two illegal immigrants in the _whole_ of the state never mind the bloody country." Gabriel complained loudly. They stopped by the table where Morigan was beginning to stir.

"So?" Logan asked.

"So nothing." Gabriel said with a smile "This'll be a challenge." Morigan blinked her eyes sleepily in the bright light. "Morning hen." Morigan sent him a disgruntled feeling and a picture from a vampire film where Dracula burned in sunlight. Gabriel took his notebook and held it above Morigan, giving her a little respite from the lights. "Is that better?" He asked her. A feeling of satisfaction and gratitude flowed from the raven and into Gabriel. "I'm glad you're happy." He said then looked back at Logan, who was watching silently at the one-sided conversation.

"I thought that two telepaths talking psychically was weird but watching you treat that bird like she was a person really tops my weird list spook." He said; Morigan cawed harshly in reply.

"That's because she is, before I met her she was used in some sort of program that boosted her intelligence. Now I've come to think of her as my annoying little sister." Morigan croaked harshly. "See?" Gabriel picked up his shopping, causing Morigan to go rolling a little way across the steel top of the table. Gabe made his way up the stairs towards the lockers, Morigan righted herself and flapped over and landed on Gabe's shoulder. Logan watched him stop at the locker room door and look at the bird, Morigan didn't seem to get his message, even when Gabriel pointed and flicked the 'men's' sign. Gabe seemed to give up and enter the locker with Morigan on his shoulder. Logan shook his head and headed towards the lift.

-------------------------------------------------

Tobias, Beta-2, laid down on the stone floor of the turret with a high-powered telescope resting on a tripod in front of him, pointed in a gap in the parapets outer wall. He took a quick peek through the eyepiece to check the target house then sat up against the wall and closed his eyes. After marvelling at the addition of a small turret on a New York state manor house Tobias immediately set the observation post up; a x500 magnification telescope with video, night vision and thermal functions and a radio.

He rubbed his eyes and rolled back onto his stomach once more and continued his surveillance. After hours of watching the construction crews slowly piece the mansion back together Tobias caught some movement by the garage, a blue minivan pulled out and rolled down the driveway towards the gate. Tobias grabbed the radio and pressed the call button.

"I see one blue minivan heading out the front door ma'am." He said in his crisp English accent.

"Is the principal driving?" Betsy asked immediately. Tobias focused on the front windscreen of the van, as it slowed down at the gate, inside was a white haired African-American woman.

"Negative, boss." He replied, "Driver matches the description of Ororo Munroe though. "Must be the school run or something." He added,

"Must be." She said, more to herself as she thought. "Continue surveillance Tobi."

------------------------------------------------

Gabriel pulled an olive green USMC t-shirt and turned around to pose for Morigan, who was perched on the coat-rack, Gabe was kitted out in the afore-mentioned t-shirt and night combat trousers, consisting of dark blues, greys and greens.

"What do you think?" he asked the raven. The bird bobbed her head. "I'm glad you approve." He said with a smile. He shut the locker door and beckoned to Morigan to jump on to his shoulder, which she did. "Let's go see what goodies Fury supplied us with, hey?"

Gabriel got out of the lift on the hanger floor and walked quickly to his car boot. He opened it and flicked the switch that opened the hidden compartment; Morigan hopped down from Gabe's shoulder and onto the lip of the boot and leaned in to peruse the contents. Gabe pulled out his uniform and draped it over his shoulder and reached back in for the com-link and laser-mic. A mechanical thump and whir as the garage and fake floor opened to let someone in. Gabriel grabbed his pulse pistol from it's recess and kept it by his waist, he grabbed his combat knife with his free hand, pushed the sheaths clip onto his belt and unsheathed the knife. He shushed Morigan when she made a little squeal of fear, despite Gabriel's occupation he had always made sure Morigan was nowhere near the action; loud noises frightened her and the possibility of death spiked her fear until she was in danger of hurting herself. Gabriel tried to ignore Morigan's panicked hopping around the boot and sent her calming thoughts but they didn't work, he'd never got the hang of sending his emotion back through their psychic link, on that point Morigan had him beaten hands down. It was a tense moment as he heard wheels head down the ramp. Gabriel felt Morigan's moment of panic before he saw the blue van round the corner of the ramp and head towards him. He dropped the knife and pistol back into the boot and, after picking Morigan up and depositing her back onto his shoulder, he pushed the boot closed and stepped away from it.

Gabriel walked towards the van with a hand raised in greeting as he saw Ororo and Amara's faces in the windscreen. The van was soon followed by Scott's red convertible. Gabriel tried to look as innocent as possible.

Scott and Jean got out of his convertible, neither laughing nor joking over the days events; Scott had been attacked by Duncan Matthews and a couple of his cronies and Jean had had her athletic reputation tarnished. On top of their lousy day the evening wasn't promising to get better, the PTA meeting was starting in a few hours and Logan was most likely going to call a training session on the institute grounds. They headed straight for the lift and squeezed in among the new mutants, Scott turned and caught Ororo and Gabriel talking, it looked innocent enough but Scott was finding it hard to trust the Brit. Jean jostled him out of his reverie.

"Let it go Scott, he's not doing anything wrong." She admonished him.

"That we know of." He replied, still watching Gabriel closely

"Hey Scott, Could you…?" Bobby tried to say from the back of the elevator

"He's done nothing but help us Scott, why can't you give him the benefit of the doubt?" She asked him.

"Jean could you…?"

"The only reason he's helped us so far Jean is because he's been paid to. What if someone pays him to…?" A look on Jean's face told him to stop that sentence dead. He pushed the button for the dorm level, the last glimpse of Gabriel he had was of him introducing his evil-looking bird to Ororo.

-----------------------------------------

WASHINGTON DC

The room wasn't what William Stryker thought it would be, instead of the monolithic marble hall he had thought the tribunal room would be it was a small office-like space with two tables and three chairs set at one end and a row of four chairs at the other, facing each other. At the table were the chiefs of staff for the Army and Navy and one extra general that he didn't recognise, he had sat on one of the opposite chairs and quietly recounted the events that had taken place in Area 51 under his command and the interrogation of the prisoner afterwards. The tribunal had waited for him to finish and talked amongst themselves as they came to a decision. Finally one of them, the Navy COS, spoke.

"Colonel Stryker, we brought you here to justify a few incidents that have happened since you were first stationed at Area 51." He said and picked up a remote that had been placed close to his right hand. He picked it up and pointed it at the screen behind him and pressed the play button. An image of a grey-scaled mutant flickered onto the screen, in the distance Pfc Kyle Denning was just about visible. It was the vivisection that Gabriel had witnessed on the screen as he talked with Stryker. The tape played for a few minutes, right up to the point where the unnamed mutants arm was shorn off at the shoulder, before the COS stopped it.

"Let me just list your sins on this one case Stryker, you had an innocent young American citizen kidnapped, poked, prodded and ripped apart. You denied him anaesthetic relief and you forced your marines to watch." He paused for a second. "I want you to tell us why we shouldn't have you court-martialled and executed." Stryker stood up.

"I was posted to Area 51 to investigate the mutant threat, I was merely following orders." The Army COS spoke next.

"Define 'investigate' for me colonel, and don't forget to add when and where murder comes under your definition." Stryker was silent. "Answer me colonel. Stryker temporarily looked flustered.

"I was merely taking the initiative in the war that is surely to come, mutants are a threat to our way of life." He said.

"Are you aware what the President's view is on the 'mutant threat'?" The unknown general asked him.

"I am aware of what the President _said_, Sir." He said bitterly.

"Then you understand the shitstorm this could bring down on all of us if word of this ever gets out." The navy COS said. Stryker tried to exude confidence as he spoke.

"I can assure you, Sir, that no one will ever find out about what happened in Area 51, my men are clean, sir. No one has any leverage on them." The navy COS pointed the remote at the screen once more and an image flickered into focus. Stryker's face paled. On the screen Stryker was conversing with one of the mutants who had entered his base, the one who had threatened him. The tableau began to play out in front of him

_"I have a message from my employers colonel Stryker, quit now or we'll find some way to have you dishonourably discharged later down the line."_

_"Oh really?"_ Stryker asked on screen with a laugh. _"And what do you think you have on me?"_

_"It's not up to me to tell you that but I could talk to the cops about two suspicious deaths around four, five years ago…"_ The tape paused.

"It's not your men we are worried about, Stryker." The army COS said meaningfully. "You've become a liability Stryker, so we have a very simple choice about what happens next, a court-marshal and then a very public trial or…"

"Or I resign my commission." Stryker finished. The unknown general nodded.

"So which are you going to choose Stryker?" Stryker stood to attention, saluted and then told the tribunal his decision.


	15. Confrontations

**Unstable**

**Chapter 15**

**Confrontations**

Gabriel sat outside on the steps of the half-built mansion, waiting. After he had got his uniform and put it in his locker he had passed Kitty, Rogue and Evan ranting about Kurt's actions during the day, he'd avoided them, attempted to separate himself from them. They were hurt and angry. Gabe decided to intervene. He rubbed his arm where he had been at the ministrations of Hank and Forge; he had dropped in and gotten the two hour presentation of their findings and theories, Gabriel had been impressed with the speed Hank had found out about the Nanites, The also wanted a pint of his blood to experiment with, he had given it to them and even told them about running a low electric current to fool the nanites to thinking they were still inside the body, it would give them an extra week to work in. He'd also asked them for a copy of all their findings, He figured SHIELD could take a pop at creating job specific nanites as well.

He caught sight of Kurt as he walked down the drive and waved to catch the mutant's attention, stood up and then walked to meet him. Kurt stopped walking and waited, Gabe could see the look of consternation on his face.

"Gabriel? Vhat are you doing here?" He asked.

"We need to talk. My car, now." He said and pointed to the Audi that he'd left by the fountain. Gabriel waited for Kurt to start walking before finally giving in and grabbing him by his upper arm and frogmarching him, much to the discourse of the student.

"Hey! Gabriel vhat are you doing?" Kurt attempted to pull away but Gabriel's gripped tightened. "Ow!" Gabriel pulled him around to the left side and opened the door. He half-led, half-pushed Kurt into the passenger seat.

"Don't even try to teleport Kurt, this is a SHIELD vehicle and it is filled with X-gene counter-measures." Gabe lied as he got in the drivers seat on the right side. "So try it and who knows what may happen but I will be _very_ hurt." He started the car and slotted it into gear just as Xavier's Bentley came out of the garage ramp with Storm at the wheel and Jean and Xavier in the back. Xavier caught Gabriel's eye and gave him a questioning look. _I'm just going to talk to him professor_ he sent out. Xavier nodded and Gabriel tapped the accelerator.

"Vhere are we going?" Kurt asked as he buckled in, Gabriel slowed the car down and waited for the gate to open.

"The council meeting is in twenty, thirty minutes and we're going to be there to support Jean when she speaks up in front of them." He nosed out of the gate and turned right, away from town. "But first we're taking the scenic route so we can chat about today." Gabriel glanced left as they passed another gate and caught sight of a couple of panel vans, someone was moving in and Gabe would investigate tonight. He pressed the accelerator down further and felt a silent thrill as the engine roared.

"Vhat about today?" Kurt tried. Gabriel sighed.

"On some level I can understand what you're going through Kurt and why you felt the need to disassociate yourself from your friends, not fully I admit but a little." He paused for a second. "Let me tell you a wee tale Kurt." Gabriel said quietly. "When I was at school I was, at first, an outcast, one of many, and a few of us banded together and became good friends; the first I'd had." The road began to sweep back towards town and under the freeway. "About six months went by, I was bullied by the leets every-so-often, but having those friends kept everything in perspective. Then I met Helen, we were thrown together for a science project and hit it off but there was just one problem; she was one of the 'in' crowd. She was smart, attractive and funny, and she knew it. Through her I met the rest of the popular crowd, I even became one of them, and it went to my head. I ignored my old friends to ingratiate myself with my new ones, and in time I plucked up the courage to ask Helen out." He slowed down as he reached the town limits and a set of traffic lights.

"So vhat happened?" Kurt asked him. Gabe sighed as he glanced his way, then after a beat he huffed a laugh.

"What do you think happened? She shot me down, publicly." The lights turned green and Gabe set off once more. "And to add insult to injury she had just been asked out by a prick named Lee, someone I had a lot of run-ins with. After she shot me down, he had his turn." The school was visible in the distance. "But that wasn't until every friend I had told me they would never speak to me again." Gabe stopped at the next red and looked directly at Kurt. "Ever." He caught a look at the trail of cross traffic and shut off his engine. "You don't want to know what it's like being shunned by everyone. Not just the elite of the school but your peers, people who understand you and accepted you." He stared Kurt in the eye "Take a good long look at your actions today and then ask yourself just one question Kurt; who do you trust implicitly, and who trusts you implicitly. I can tell you now that your answer isn't going to include the little fuckwits at school."

Gabriel restarted the car as the throng of traffic let up, He and Kurt remained silent for the rest of the ten-minute journey. Gabe parked the car in the northwest corner, next to the football field and got out. Out of habit he scanned the, already full, parking lot; it was quiet. Kurt got out, shut his door and walked around the front of the car to meet Gabriel on the sidewalk, Gabriel shut his door and locked up the Audi. "Let's go, the meetings probably already started." They made a beeline for the front doors at an easy walking pace, neither spoke; Kurt was deep in thought and Gabriel kept scanning the parking lot, something was off. They reached the doors and Gabriel pushed one of them open, he let Kurt through first and took a step inside, then paused. He turned around and scanned the lot again.

"Are you coming Gabriel?" Kurt asked him from the hall. Gabe stood in the doorway for a moment before deciding.

"You go on ahead Kurt, there's something I need to check out." Gabriel stepped back into the night air and quietly stepped up to and behind the panel truck that was parked nearby. He looked both up and down the length of the van at his partially obstructed view of the parking lot. He walked to the front and peeked over the bonnet, there was still no one in sight. A sweep of headlights made him duck down behind the truck, he raised himself back up again slowly to watch the car park, and found it to be familiar. He stood up and walked around the back of the truck and out into the parking lot where Scott, Rogue Kitty and Evan where heading for the door, towards him, slowly like they were reluctant to be there. Scott looked up when Gabe closed in.

"Gabriel? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Playing taxi, listen I need you to take a look around this lot and tell me if anything looks out of place." He said quietly in case someone was trying to listen in on the conversation, he saw Scott's brow crease in confusion. "No, don't ask any questions Scott, just do it." He said levelly, all four mutants craned their necks and looked around, they were satisfied all was normal and told him so. "OK, sorry, guess I'm hitting all the paranoid buttons tonight." He breathed out slowly then turned around and headed for the door. The X-men paused and watched him go. Rogue was the first to speak.

"First he ta_h_lks in his sleep and now he's hearin' things." She said as she watched him open the main doors and walk inside, she then looked at the three X-men beside her. "What, l_ah_ke you didn't hear 'im?" No one answered her. "Well, m_ah_ght as well go hear them kick us out." She said and the group moved forward, directly into Duncan Matthew's view.

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EARLIER THAT DAY…

The last three members of the Brotherhood stalked across the quad, getting wrapped up in their newfound perception of power by eyeballing and antagonising everyone; no one dared stand up to them. A group of jocks walked, unknowingly, straight for them. Lance shouldered through with ease followed by Fred who catapulted two of them with his shoulder before the rest wizened up and got out of the large mutant's way, Todd wasn't so lucky and after hurting his shoulder on the first jock he jumped up onto Fred's shoulder to escape getting trampled on.

On the other side of the quad Duncan and two of his friends, who had been at Xavier's the previous night and wanted to get their own back, waited for the three mutants to come closer.

"We don't need these freaks Dunc, we could take care of the X-kids if we just got the team together." One of them said.

"The whole team isn't enough you idiot, we need to fight fire with fire and these freaks are all the fire we need, I want Summers for myself." Duncan snapped.

"Then what are we going to do?" The other one asked.

"You'll hang back in case there are more than we can handle." Duncan answered and looked around the corner. "C'mon." he beckoned and rounded the corner. "Lance Alvers, I've got a proposition for you…"

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabe leaned against the corridor wall, just inside the main entrance. He was mentally sifting through his senses and memories of the last five minutes, he knew wasn't going nuts, well he thought, _believed_ he wasn't.

Something had triggered his paranoid instincts and they were never wrong…well…hardly ever wrong.

A tyre squealing outside caught Gabriel's attention, he approached the door and watched the scene unfold as the blonde haired boy that Jean had been talking to that morning. Gabriel recalled the name Duncan but no last name. Duncan hauled himself out of the car and confronted Scott; one against four was a pretty stupid move in anyone's book…no, wait, Gabe watched as the Brotherhood of all people were sneaking around the truck he had snuck around a couple of minutes earlier. Gabriel stood in silence as the Brotherhood faced off with the X-men, waiting to see if it would escalate, it did, Kitty advanced on Lance and said something Gabriel couldn't hear and Lance pushed back. Gabriel slammed the door open and stalked down the stairs, fists clenched tightly. He made a beeline for Lance, who had turned at the noise and immediately realised who it was that was bearing down on him. Lance glanced to Gabe's left and smirked.

Gabe's hackles raised and he felt more than heard the swing and raised his left arm to block the blow, he turned and saw the wooden bat smack against is shoulder and pain blossomed down his arm, he went down and rolled away from the attacker as everything kicked off. Gabriel got to his feet and backed away from his attacker, he immediately recognised him, and the second guy who had come into view, as two of the graffiti idiots from the previous night. The pudding bowl haircut idiot was the one with the bat; his African American friend had shown some originality and brought a length of chain. Gabe kept backing away and around the cab of the truck, keeping his hands by his sides and his left shoulder forward, a splash of red and a warm, sticky feeling told him that his GSW had opened again, not from the blow but his attempt at blocking it; he should have moved with the attack.

He caught a flash of movement from his right as the skirmish continued while he kept backing away through the parked vehicles.

"What's wrong pal, you're not afraid are you?" the blonde said, matching Gabe step-for-step.

"Of you two wastes of skin?" He retorted. "Not bloody likely." He needed space to operate, split them up and take them on, on his own terms. The sound of movement to his left warned him to move and he leapt backwards as Rogue flipped by followed quickly by Toad.

Rogue got her feet back under her and grabbed Todd as he closed in, she twisted and used his own momentum to throw him away from her, the green-skinned mutant twisted in the air and spat a globule of spit directly in her face. She fell to her knees and scraped the thick mucus off of her face, she jumped when she felt a leg hit her back. Believing it to be an attacker she surged to a standing position and raised her fist, ready for a fight; her vision was just good enough to see Gabriel, in vaguely the same stance. She wiped the rest of the Toad's spittle away and turned away from Gabe to find the Brotherhood member once more. Gabriel turned back to his own problems and wasn't surprised to see the two Jocks taking advantage of his momentary lapse of focus. The two Jocks charged Gabriel, splitting up to flank him. Gabe smiled and raised his right fist.

Blonde came in first with a wild low swing of the bat, Gabriel kicked out with everything he had and knocked it out of the boy's hand, He stepped in with his momentum and whipped his other foot around, it connected with Blonde's chin, instantly taking him out of the fight. The chain-wielding Jock flailed out and caught Gabe's out flung foot and pulled him to the ground. Out of nowhere the ground began to shake as Avalanche let rip with his powers, dropping the Jock to the floor and freeing Gabriel from the chain. He pulled himself to his feet and rounded on his opponent who was getting to his feet too. Gabe's priorities immediately shifted, he needed to take down Avalanche quickly before he did too much damage to the place, which meant putting the Jock down fast. Gabriel opened his clenched fist and relaxed his body _fast and loose_ his Aikido teacher had drummed into him. The Jock charged and swung in with his right, Gabriel gripped the fist with his right hand and pulled it to his right and twisted it savagely until it locked then pushed his other hand down hard in the Jock's shoulder blade. Gabriel heard the hard _clack_ as his chin bounced off the tarmac.

Gabriel straightened up and jumped onto the roof of a car and jumped onto the truck, he dived over the side and grabbed one of Lance's arms, rolled as he hit the ground and threw the mutant against Duncan's car, Gabriel was dimly aware that they now had an audience. Gabriel rolled backwards and planted his feet against the truck and balanced on his right hand.

"You wanted a fight, Lance? Then fight me." He shouted above the shrill noise of a hundred panicked voices. Lance pushed himself off the car and beard on Gabriel with a smirk.

"You can't beat me Limey, not while you're not allowed to use your powers." Gabriel concentrated, focused on his next step and charged himself, feeling his centre of gravity shift towards the Brotherhood member.

"Who said I couldn't use my powers?" He asked and kicked off the truck, causing it to skid backwards from the overpressure, he twisted in midair and flung out a leg and knocked Lance flying with a roundhouse. He landed clumsily and checked to see if Lance was out cold, he was but the trouble wasn't over; Blob was throwing cars at the X-men.

"I told all of you, mutants aren't only dangerous they completely out of control!" a voice shouted behind Gabriel, a hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to see Jean. He patted hers to silently tell her he was all right and got to his feet.

"Look again." He heard Xavier say and turned to see him talking with someone he didn't recognise, a crowd had rather stupidly gathered to watch the fighting. "Despite the overwhelming urge to do so, my students are refusing to use their powers, they are maintaining control." Gabe scanned the battlefield, Lance was still out cold but Fred was still chucking cars around and Todd was making a nuisance of himself somewhere he couldn't see.

"Well _he_ isn't!" Gabe turned to the accusatory tone.

"Gabriel is not a student." Xavier explained.

"I've been assigned as security detail for the kids." Gabriel added, lying off the cuff. His accuser pushed his left shoulder, sending jolts through it.

"Is that so?" Gabriel grabbed the man's wrist and twisted hard. He was about to utter a threat but it died on his lips as he caught everyone looking behind him, he turned and saw a car heading their way, with Evan ducking through a manhole to get out of the way.

Gabe threw the guy he was holding behind Duncan's car and dived after him. Jean held the car with her telekinesis and placed it down. The guy, who Gabriel later found out was principal Kelly; shot Gabe an evil look.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer you freak." He seethed and ran off.

"And you'll be hearing from my employer _pigyn bach_!" He swore and began to marshal the civilians. "Everyone get back inside, now!" A lamppost began to topple onto two civilians before Evan spiked it and stopped the fall. "Sometime today people." He added with urgency. Another car flew towards a fallen couple, Kurt quickly teleported in and saved them. He didn't see the mutant reappear so he assumed he'd teleported the civvies inside. The rest got the idea and ran back in leaving the X-men and Gabe room to work. The X-men quickly formed a line between him and the civilians and the Brotherhood; he didn't mind, the burst of energy he had used to take Lance down had drained him. He took the moment of respite to fish out his phone and called Lyle. Predictably the Brotherhood ran, pulling the unconscious form of Lance with them.

-----------------------------------------------

"We've taken all the forensic evidence we can Agent Shift, we'll have the results written up for you within the hour." A SHIELD tech told him, he nodded and remained quiet as the tech left.

An hour had passed since the parking lot had been torn up and Gabriel had been placed in charge of the scene until a superior was available, Fury's exact words were: 'Consider yourself back on the active list, run the scene and report to the office in the morning for evaluation.' Gabe was no longer in downtime _Woo_ Gabe had thought sarcastically. After the school council had been moved into a building on the other side of the grounds he had the techs and investigators take statements from everyone then photos of the lot and teenagers who were left unconscious, Gabriel had let Xavier and the kids go, he would cobble together their statements later, cobble as in 'fake' that is. EMS crews had seen to all of the civilians at Gabriel's request before patching up his arm once more; questions had been asked but ignored.

"Who's in charge here?!" He heard Kelly shout at one of his investigators, who pointed in his direction. Gabriel sighed as he saw the obligatory look of confusion, then disbelief and then denial and anger wash over the principal's face as he stormed towards Gabriel. "You are in charge?" he asked Gabe incredulously.

"Agent Shift of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate." He replied. "Otherwise known as SHIELD." He pulled out his PDA and opened it to the notes program. "How can I help you principal Kelly?" he asked, his professional manner showing through.

"You can start by getting your circus show off school property." He barked.

"My _circus_, as you put it, will leave when I or my superior says it will and not a second before." Gabriel replied coolly. "I suggest you go back to your office and wait for one of my agents to take your statement, I would also like you to give them any CCTV footage you have in the parking lot." Gabriel walked away from Kelly, towards the tech van. "Have a good evening Kelly." He heard the man grunt with annoyance and walk away, Gabe reached the truck, knocked on the side of the rear doors and leaned in. "Could one of you follow the principal to his office, take his statement and take any CCTV footage that _you_ think is relevant, not him." One of them nodded and got down from the truck; Gabe grabbed the tech's arm. "Make sure he doesn't do anything _stupid_." He added. "Put me through to Grahems." He ordered his communications tech.

Barker grabbed the keys to his Taurus and headed out of his office, teaming up with his 2IC and escort.

"Agent McKinner's techs are just picking up the last of the evidence, apparently the principal's getting 'a little shirty'." Special Agent Grahams, his second in command informed Barker. "His words." She added when Lyle gave her a confused look.

"Okay, tell him to go careful with Kelly, I don't need any complications when I get there for the handover." Lyle ordered, she nodded and broke off towards her own office. Lyle and his escort entered the elevator and headed for the parking garage, one floor down from the mission ready area where Gabriel had been prepped.

Across the room Woo and Carter were at their desks, each taking a crack at the money trail from the hit and each failing. They hadn't moved from their desks all day. The traces trailed all across the state and then circled around the country before brick walling in Switzerland, all the traces had been completely random, so far no computer or node in the country had been used twice. Carter was almost at the end of her tether.

"Damnit!" she cried, she had reached it. Woo didn't look up from his screen as he chided her.

"Language Sharon." He cancelled the last failed trace and started the next.

"If you say that one more time…" Her empty threat was cut off as one of the forensic techs handed her a folder wordlessly and left. Sharon opened it and skimmed through it. "Forensics managed to ID the other assassin through his prints." She told her partner. "He's not one of the missing assassins either." That got Woo's attention. "He is Gunnery Sergeant Gregory Hollis, posted at Area 51, he's one of Stryker's men." Sharon put the file in the 'in' tray of her desk. "Could be something, could be nothing. I'll ask NCIS to follow it up." She sighed. "Fury's going to flip."

"He and Stryker have been at odds ever since the colonel forced his way into the Black-Ops list." Woo reached over and took the file, with a disapproving look from Carter.

"As soon as Fury hears about this he'll be back in this office raining a shitstorm on Barker, and I figure Barker likes spreading it about." She fumed.

"We've still got to send it." Woo said. Sharon leaned back in her chair and sighed at the ceiling.

"I know."

-------------------------------------------

Gabriel sat on the tail of the techs truck and waited, adrenaline; what there was of it, had petered out twenty minutes ago and now all he felt was the cold. He began to zone out and pull in on himself, going over what he would say in his debrief. SHIELD, as a rule, didn't have it's own internal investigation bureau. Any and all actions concerning SHIELD personnel were overseen and investigated by the UNCIGC, much to the annoyance of Fury but if he wanted worldwide jurisdiction then he would have to acquiesce to the UN's wishes.

"Agent Shift?" a tech tapped him on the shoulder and called his name. He turned around and the tech pointed up towards the other end of the lot, a large black truck, the twin to the one he was sat on, turned into the lot and drove straight for them, it was soon followed by a black saloon. The truck pulled into the vacant space next to Gabriel and two techs jumped out and began connecting leads between their truck and it's twin, preparing to copy all the information the first truck had collected. Gabriel stood up and got into his truck.

"Someone hand me the Evidence folder and handover clipboard please." Gabe asked and was given the items by the nearest tech. "Thanks, Grab all the evidence boxes and start transferring them, once that's done, wait and I'll give you the go-ahead to leave." He stepped down off the truck and walked towards Lyle, who had jumped out of the back of the saloon. Gabe nodded to his superior and held out the clipboard for Lyle to take and review.

"Heard you had a little problem with the principal." Lyle said as a greeting.

"He's a bigoted little maggot, he tried to palm off last nights tapes as evidence to protect his precious little jocks; it took the threat of jail time just to get tonight's tapes." He replied. "He's been constantly ordering me and my techs to get off the lot, I've isolated him in his office, just tell my tech up there to head straight home." Lyle took the folder and checked it then signed the handover sheet and handed it back to Gabriel, who signed it and pulled the top sheet off and gave it to Lyle, leaving him with the carbon copy. He said goodbye and gave the clipboard to a passing tech and told them to sign off and get some sleep. He headed back to his car and dropped into the driver's seat, he started the car and left; the drive home was thankfully quiet.


	16. Evaluation Pt1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Marvel or X-men: Evolution.

**Authors Note: **I want to thank all those who have read this fic so far and especially those who have reviewed, thank you.

**Unstable**

**Chapter 16**

**Evaluation Pt.1  
**

The X-men were gathered around the meeting table waiting for Xavier to arrive. They hadn't said much to each other last night, fearing the worst. The creaking of the door caught everyone's attention; it was Gabriel, looking a little tired. He nodded to Kitty as she half-smiled and waved then he beckoned Scott over to the door. Scott walked over and, having gotten the impression that this was a private conversation, leaned in to listen.

"For the next five to ten minutes I'm going to be in my professional attitude, so keep all questions and comments till the end, okay?" Gabriel said softly, Scott nodded quietly and walked back to where he had been leaning on the bulkhead. Gabe walked into the room and put a folder he had been carrying on to the table and walked around to where Xavier usually sat at the head of the table. "Okay people in that folder are the findings of last nights investigation with all the evidence notarised." Scott picked it up, sat down on the nearest chair and began to read through. "I want you all hear the verdict before I hand it in to SHIELD.

"CCTV footage clearly shows Duncan Mathews and his group starting the hostilities and that you only used necessary defensive force so as far as you're concerned there will be no criminal charges brought against you. While it was painfully obvious that you all are completely blameless, Principal Kelly has issued a complaint that the investigation was biased in your favour, the complaint is being investigated by my superiors but I see no complications and no comeback." He walked around the table as he spoke. "SHIELD wants to smooth this over as fast as possible and my superiors have asked me to ask you guys to keep a low profile for the next couple of days, though by the look on your faces I think you'll do that anyway." He passed Scott and scanned the page he was on; it was one of the images off of the CCTV footage, it showed Scott and Duncan tussling in the foreground and a vague dark smudge of Gabriel taking down the blonde jock in the background. "The aggressors are currently being detained but due to their age can't be arrested, they'll be back in school after a sentence of suspension for a period of time decided by the principal." He finished his walk back where he started. "Which, _yes_, we all know can be measured in hours if not minutes." He motioned to Scott to pass the folder, who flick-threw it across the table. "Any questions?" He asked as he tapped the folder against the table.

"_V_hat about our statements?" Kurt asked. "Don't you need those for your report?"

"Already taken care of." Gabe replied. "If I took your statements on site Kelly could have used them in the school board meeting, by postponing it I made sure Kelly didn't have it as leverage and I've faked a load up because, legally, _anything_ you say would have to be recorded and the wrong word or sentence could be twisted and bent into a whole new context but, don't worry, it's just a blow-by-blow account of what happened." He held the folder loosely in his left hand and headed for the door. "I'll see you guys later."

"Aren't you like, staying to hear the verdict?" Kitty asked him as he opened the door. Gabe stopped and looked back at the young mutant.

"Since it doesn't concern me I don't see the point in staying." He left, leaving the room, once again, in silence until Xavier entered.

"Good morning everyone, I trust you slept well?" He asked as he moved to his spot at the head of the table. "Before I announce the school boards decision I want to tell you how proud I am of all of you."

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In the hanger, Gabriel was bent double under the hood, checking everything over. He had gone straight to the locker room, showered away the last nights grime and fatigue and redressed, a quick breakfast of toast had been finished off with a quick visit to Hanks lab to see how he and Forge were doing; by the look on their faces Gabe had realised he wasn't the only one to stay up all night.

Morigan was hopping around on the roof, waiting for him to finish. She was annoyed that Gabriel had gotten into a fight without her to watch his back, which wasn't anything new but she let him know just how _vexed_ she really was.

"Morigan." The bonnet muffled Gabriel's voice as he spoke. "I know your angry about being left behind last night but will you bloody _drop it_!" Morigan let up her mental assault but kept hopping on the roof. "And you can stop _that_ as well! Get off of there you'll scratch the paint work." Morigan dropped off of the Audi's roof and onto the Bentley's hood. "There too." She skipped back across to the Audi and perched on the edge of the engine bay. "That's better, hen. While you're there check the brake and power steering fluid tanks will you?" Morigan leant in and checked the two plastic containers then gave Gabriel the all clear. "Cheers Morigan." They both heard the lift chime as it arrived on the hanger floor; Gabriel straightened up and, once Morigan was out of the way, closed the hood. The quiet of the hanger was dispelled as the elevator doors slid open and the occupants inside spilled out, several conversations going on at once. Gabe walked around to the open boot and picked up a rag he'd draped over the edge and wiped his hands clean of the engine oil and grime. Once he was clean he chucked the rag back into the boot and flicked the switch for the compartment. He pulled a military style belt out of its niche and a pistol holster underneath it. He threaded the belt loops of the holster into the belt and then put the belt on, he crouched down and strapped the bottom strap just above his knee and the holster now rested half way down his thigh. He reached back into the boot, took the pulse pistol and an energy pack; he gently pushed the pack into the handle, where an ammo clip went on a conventional pistol, and thumbed a small red button just behind the spot where the trigger met the slide where it was out of the way of everyday usage. A little green LCD screen on the left side of the barrel glowed to life and told Gabriel that the pack had a 100 charge. Once the weapon was primed and ready he pushed it into the holster and snapped the catch over it. He shut the compartment and boot and walked to the driver's side door.

"That's a little much for _z_he school run isn't it?" Kurt asked him. Gabe looked over to where he, Kitty and Rogue were waiting by the van, Scott was already heading up the ramp with Jean, Bobby, Ray and Amara in the car. Storm was ferrying the rest of the new mutants into the van behind the three.

"I'm not doing the school run, I'm heading into the office." He opened the door and let Morigan jump in. "As for the piece, it's a non-lethal firearm and I have to wear it because I'm on call since twenty minutes ago." He said, glancing at his watch for confirmation. "Which means lots of paperwork and an evaluation." He lowered himself into the seat. "Y'know, the fun stuff about adult life."

"Well the van's gonna be, like really crowded and we really don't wanna take the bus so can you at least drop us off on the way into town?" Kitty asked him, giving him a soulful look. "Please?" Gabe eyeballed her for a couple of seconds before finally giving in.

"Fine, I'll drop you off just get in now." He relented and fished his keys out of his pocket. "Morigan, shift over so someone can take the front." He told the bird who, after sending Gabriel some angry thoughts, hopped into the middle back seat and got comfortable as Kitty and Kurt got in, Rogue got in the front and buckled up.

"Is this real leather?" Kitty asked disapprovingly from the back seat.

"I don't know, I haven't found the little tag that tells me yet." He replied.

"It's pretty comf'table in here ain't it?" Rogue mused as she squirmed her way further into the seat. Gabe opened the computer controls on the dashboard screen and activated the radio.

"It sure is Rogue." He said and started the car.

Gabriel joined the throng of traffic on the freeway just behind Ororo in the van though as soon as the inside lane had a space he overtook her and the next two cars before nestling back in.

"I never, like, pictured you in this kind of car Gabriel." Kitty said, still rubbing the seat and trying to figure out if it was leather, Kurt on the other hand was hugging the rear door, he didn't like the looks the Raven was giving him, _and since when was a bird able to _hiss He asked himself.

"What did you picture me in, hen?" Gabriel asked as he pulled back into the overtaking lane and passed a familiar cherry-red convertible. "Wouldn't happen to be an Aston Martin would it?" He darted back into the outside lane behind a cop car.

"…Maybe." Kitty conceded, Gabe glanced at her in the rear-view mirror.

"While I would seriously love to have an Aston, my money doesn't spread that far." He said and pulled back into the outside lane to overtake a milk truck, he pulled back in on the other side and indicated for his exit lane. "Besides, the James Bond comparisons would be too horrific." He took the exit and inserted himself into the free-flowing traffic of Fifth Street, Scott and Ororo soon followed.

Gabriel settled into a slow cruise and fell back on the bad habit of taking his hands away from the steering wheel and hitching his knees up to keep the wheel in check. He fished around in the cubbyholes on the dashboard below the screen and pulled out a biro. He then pulled a clipboard from underneath his seat and began to write on a form attached to it. He finished fairly quickly and placed the clipboard and pen on the dashboard, idly began to tap his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the beat on the radio. The silence in the car was uncomfortable for the three teenagers, Kitty and Kurt began to talk to each other in hushed tones, Gabriel figured they were planning what to do during whatever free periods they had, Rogue on the other hand tried to start a conversation with Gabriel.

"So what will ya be doin' while we're at school?" she asked him. Gabriel tapped the computer screen on the dashboard and activated the CB through it. The radio chatter was minimal, just a few pieces of white noise and unintelligible phrases.

"I'll be filing my report, attending a debrief on last nights incident, filing my statement on Kelly's complaint, attending the weekly briefing and then take my evaluation, after that, the day's mine." He answered as he scanned through the CB channels.

"What's the evaluation for?"

"Firearm proficiency and psychological predisposition." He answered, he found the right channel and turned the volume up a bit more, he then switched the screen to the GPS/SatNav function.

"What?"

"Basically it's a test to see if I'm physically competent to fire a gun and whether I'm of sound mind to be allowed to carry it." He typed the SHIELD offices address into the onscreen keyboard and waited for the computer to work through the details. "I should have done it after I broke out but there were mitigating circumstances." Conversation stopped but Gabriel didn't notice as he took a hold of the steering wheel and pulled out of the throng of traffic onto the road towards the school. A mental warning from Morigan, who had taken time out from her new game of tormenting the fuzzy mutant, caused Gabriel to glance in Rogues direction. "What?"

"Broke out?" she asked. Gabe paused for a second before answering, dragging his eyes back to the road so they didn't crash.

"Yes." He answered slowly. The school came in to view on their left, Gabe slowed down to get ready for the turn into the parking lot, newly laid over and void of federal yellow tape and vehicles.

"Should I even ask where you broke out from?" Rogue furrowed her brow and crossed her arms.

"No, you shouldn't." He answered and locked the wheel to pull the nose in to the lot and stopped in the nearest space "But you did anyway." He added as he stopped the engine. "I was incarcerated in Belleview Asylum." He told them "But before you scrabble for the door handles I'm not, never was or have ever been insane, I was on assignment." He didn't glance in any direction but forward, he caught a flash of red drive by, Scott had just arrived.

"What was the assignment?" Kitty asked him. He held his door and punched a button that opened the other doors.

"VIP security." He replied. "We're here." He added. Kurt was out in a second; the glares the black-feathered bird was giving him were severely off-putting. Kitty paused for a second before getting out, Rogue stayed where she was.

"Who."

"That's classified." He replied woodenly, whatever headway he had made with the X-men was probably gone.

"That's crap Gabe and you know it, just tell me who you were watching." She snapped at him. Gabe gripped the steering wheel in a death grip and refused to look any way but forward. Rogue realised the Brit had clammed up and got out.

"Wanda Maximoff." Gabe blurted out as her head rose out of view. "I was in there watching Wanda." The door closed with a resounding finality, Gabe relaxed his shoulders and grip and leaned back; Morigan hopped into the front seat. "Don't say it." He warned the bird "Just don't say it or so help me I'm gonna wring your scrawny little neck." The image of an old iron gate that moved slightly in an unseen breeze popped into his head courtesy of the raven. "I'm not getting rusty I'm just out of practice." The bird sent him a 'yeah, right' feeling. "I am. I'm just going to have to get myself back into the crease that's all." He said to the bird "Start running in the mornings again, a bit of climbing down the mansion's cliff side that sort of thing." The feeling still snaked its way through his mind "Look you little feather bag, I'm not losing my edge!" He snapped. The feeling receded but was soon replaced by Morigan's view of Gabriel telling Rogue about Wanda.

"OK, so I broke. It happens." He relented. "There's something about these kids Morigan." He said after a short and awkward pause. "I don't know what it is but when I'm among them I don't…." he stopped talking but his train of thought still carried on: _I don't want to be me_. Gabriel started the car and activated the navigation functions on the SatNav, a quiet female voice politely told him to leave the parking lot and take a right towards the next traffic lights.

-------------------------------------

"Oh hey!" Forge exclaimed from his post at the microscope while Hank drew a new sample of Gabriel's blood.

"What?" Hank asked from across the lab.

"I managed to get these Nanites to do something." Forge answered, Hank finished drawing the blood and walked over to the young mutant. Forge moved out of the way of the scope so Hank could get a look. Inside the confines of the scope, several of the nanites joined together and reformed into a red-tinted lens. Hank pushed the chair to a nearby terminal; wires lead from the computer to the petrie dish where they connected with the nanites. Both Hank and Forge had discussed the risk of doing this, the biggest among them was the nanites infecting the mansions computer network; to combat this the pair had set up an isolated computer with enough data examine the nanites and communicate with them.

Hank checked the examination programs to find out the nanites new function; it appeared to him to be an ocular enhancement. He sent a command to the dish, for the nanites to multiply and directed forge to draw them into a syringe ready for testing. Forge placed the syringe on a nearby rack with three other syringes and placed them in the freezer; the syringes were of an odd design, the needle gauge was large and instead of the sharp tip it was flat with two flaring blocks. Forge had dreamed up the delivery system halfway through the night and had the nanites work on the jack to go with the needles first. It had taken the other half of the night to produce a pure sample of the jack nanites but after they realised how to re-shape the machines, it was just a question of time and patience.

"What should we try next?" Hank asked the maker. Forge paced around the lab table as he thought.

"We've concentrated on sensory enhancement so far, maybe we should try biochemical enhancements?" He mused. "Increase his adrenaline production, endorphin and enkephalin maybe." He stopped walking and looked to Hank for an answer.

"So you want to increase Gabriel's stamina?" Hank asked. Forge nodded.

"Maybe we should see what we could do with nervous system." He added, "Increase his reflex speed or maybe his sensory perception?" He added further.

"Sensory perception?" Hank asked, "You want to see if Gabriel can _see_ pain? See touch?" Forge looked sheepish as he replied.

"I've heard of this guy down in New York, Hell's Kitchen to be precise, he can see every thing, he hunt's any criminal down…" Forge explained

"…And he's known as the Dare Devil, I've heard the rumours." Hank finished for him.

"The dude's not just a rumour Hank, he's real." Forge said, in a tone of voice that was close to pleading.

"Prove it." Hank said with a smug, toothy grin. Forge mirrored the smile and gave up, well aware that he couldn't prove it.

"So…Stamina or reflexes?" Forge asked.

"Stamina…" Hank answered. "From what I've heard from Logan, Gabriel's fast enough already."

"Okay." Forge said with finality. "Let's get on that, man." He waited for Hank to vacate the chair and then took it and began poking at the nanites once more.

--------------------------------

The underground parking lot was cool and dark when Gabriel pulled in at the SHIELD car park guards' booth. A disenfranchised guard lazily asked for his ID and checked it against the database once Gabriel handed it to him. Gabe waited in the front passenger seat for the guard to verify him; the downside to owning a British vehicle on American roads was the inability to use the tollbooths and the like without negotiating his way across the breadth of the car. Morigan brooded in the back; she had been forced out of her seat, with a gentle push but still, she was not happy but as Gabriel was wont to tell her, she never was unless she was making someone else's life miserable.

"You're cleared." The guard said as he handed the ID back "Bay sixty-seven." He added, "If you park anywhere else your car will be impounded and you will be detained for questioning..." Gabe cast the guard a stony look.

"I know the spiel, Rent-a-cop just raise the bloody barrier." He put his ID back in its wallet and stashed it in his trouser pocket before heaving himself over the gear stick and back into the driver's seat. He started the car and drove into the lot as soon as the barrier moved out of his way.

He parked in the bay and got out of the car, Morigan hopped out after him. Gabe closed the door and hit a button on the car key that automatically locked the car down and another that activated the security systems within the car, Gabe had looked at the manuals section on this and since the first thing he read was 'high voltage vehicle body interlacing network-480 volts' he'd stopped reading; partly because he was satisfied with the level of security but mainly because he knew just reading further would give him a headache.

He punched the elevator call button with his middle knuckle and stepped into the car once it had arrived and tapped the button for the main office level the same way once Morigan had flapped onto his shoulder. As the doors swept open Gabe caught sight of Carter and Woo seated at desks by the opposite wall with equally frustrated faces, he walked straight towards them. They didn't notice him until he spoke.

"What's wrong with you two?" He asked. "Your faces look like a wet weekend." He added. Both agents looked up and gazed wearily.

"You don't want to hear about it." Woo sighed. Gabriel grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it over so it was between their desks.

"I have thirty minutes and I do want to hear so, tell me." He said and leaned on the desk to listen. Carter and Woo began with the attempted assassination of the congressmen at Capitol Hill then continued with the initial briefing and their continued failure to find the origin of the hit-money, which they'd finally given up on as he had shown up. They then filled him in on a past operation that was relevant to their current case, the destruction of an assassination ring some ten years ago. Gabriel remained quiet for a moment as he ingested the information. He felt a little guilty over dropping Hank and Ororo into a potential killing zone.

"How large is your task force?" He asked.

"Not including us?" Woo started. "Four; two intelligence analysts and two field agents, they're out chasing a few leads."

"And the analysts are two floors up sifting through what little we've got." Carter added.

"So you already have two people chasing up random leads and two people chasing the money, why don't you follow up on the assassins' identities?" They both gave him a look that said 'we've thought of that.' "SHIELD has ways into the mercenary web rings, right?" He asked; they nodded. "And mercenaries, by nature, aren't known for their counter-intelligence abilities. There will be cracks in their security somewhere." Grahams appeared out of the corner of Gabriel's vision and beckoned him over. "That's my cue to leave." He said by way of goodbye and walked over two the agent. "I do believe this is the first time we've met." Gabriel greeted her and held out his hand. "Gabriel McKinner."

"Rachel Grahams, Gabriel." She shook his hand. "If you will follow me we just need to do the psych eval before we head out to the range." She added as she headed for the elevator, Gabriel fell into step a foot behind her.

"Where's the range?" He asked her, she fished through the folder she held and handed him a piece of paper from it, the range was in a warehouse outside of Bayville in the industrial sector, it was also three warehouses over from where he was storing the APC _Are they trying to tell me they know where it is?_ He asked himself. They stepped into the lift as soon as it arrived and headed further up the building. The elevator stopped on a floor Gabriel didn't recognise and Grahams directed him through a nearby door, which turned to be a conference room; Lyle was already sitting at the head of the table with a female agent in full spook gear; every inch of her body was hidden from Gabriel, both heads turned to watch him enter; Gabe noted that the woman became nervous as he entered.

Lyle directed Gabriel to sit opposite the agent, on Lyle's right. Gabe did as he was asked and dropped down into the chair; he got comfortable and then nodded to the agent.

"Morning ma'am." He said but she remained quiet but stiffened up.

"Gabriel." Lyle said, "This is Agent Twelve, she will be scanning your mind through this evaluation." He explained.

"Ok, Lyle lets just get it over with." He glanced at the psychic. "How is she getting in my head anyway? It's closed off." He asked.

"The Agent here is trained to enter sensitive minds, you will feel a little pain but nothing more." Lyle answered him. Gabe got comfortable and relaxed in the chair.

"Alright, fire away."

-------------------------------

She couldn't believe it; across the desk from her was one of the people from her past, someone who had abused the power they had been bestowed. It would be, _so easy_, to go into his mind and shut him down permanently, the backdoor to his mind was easily breached with the memory pass code SHIELD had installed when they had Gabriel committed. She reached into his head and began sifting through his memories as Lyle began asking questions to the Briton. She dialled back to Gabriel's time with the Outfit, specifically the first time they'd met and found it surprising that Gabriel had been both wary of her and attracted to her. She filed through to their training, a buddy-up system that shoved polar opposites together in the hope that something will rub of one 'buddy' to the other and visa-versa. In the case of her and Gabriel's partnership; it was hoped that she would impart some common sense and control and in return Gabriel would toughen the young girl up for front-line duty. She pushed farther in to the memory and watched their third run through the assault course from Gabriel's perception in third person.

She appeared next to the climbing wall and watched as a hand gripped the top and pulled a body over the wall and into her view, the climber dropped down and was revealed to be Gabriel. He turned and scanned the wall with a patient look and waited, after a moment another hand and another body hauled itself over the wall and, instead of dropping the ten foot to the ground it lowered itself down and then dropped the rest of the way to the spot of earth next to Gabriel. She straightened up next to him, coming up a couple of inches shorter than Gabe's 5'10" frame. Gabriel, and the young girl's older version paused to look the girl over; she had black hair and brown eyes that spoke of an intelligence that he couldn't understand but that didn't stop him from trying. He cocked his head towards the next set of obstacles; and S-bends climbing tunnel, overhang bars, climbing rope and zip-line.

"Let's see if you can beat your record shall we?" he said good-naturedly and jogged towards the S-bend. He stopped and waited for his younger partner. "Some time today Karma." He added as she had only covered half the ground he had. "You're spending too much time indoors hen, it ain't healthy." Something was wrong from the adult Karma's perspective. The way she remembered this he had rained down abuse on her; he had been impatient and biting and refused her even an inch of slack. But Gabriel's perspective was different, the ribbing was still there but there was no malice behind it, in fact there was friendliness in his tone that she didn't think he was capable of and he wasn't cutting her slack because he wanted her to succeed, not fail. The older Karma stood next to Gabriel, hearing his thought as if they were whispers on the wind. _She tries, but she isn't cut out for fieldwork._ She heard. _I bet it was Emma who pushed her into this; she always did have a vindictive streak._ Emma Frost, Karma remembered had cajoled her into this, as Karma's superior Emma had a lot of control over her professional life and that control had Karma placed in the buddy system after Karma had corrected the socialite, in public, in front of her superiors and more importantly to Emma; the Outfits more eligible bachelors. Young Karma caught up with Gabriel _I'm going to have to get her out of this._ Older Karma heard him think. _This is the easy course and she's already having problems, she'll kill herself on the harder courses._ Gabriel brushed away a few stray black hairs from his face and helped young Karma into the S-bend and followed after her, helping her through the tight turns when she faltered for a second. _I'm gonna have to get her out of here and back into the Intel pool, it's where she's better suited._ Older Karma pulled out of the memory and out of Gabriel's mind, but not before getting a scan of his complete psyche. As the psych evaluation was finishing up Gabriel felt a slight headache as Agent Twelve clumsily left his head.

"And now I believe we are done Gabriel." Lyle finished, he'd been asking mundane questions just to give both Gabriel and Karma something to focus on, one of the few tricks needed to push through the suicide switch that made up Gabe's psychic defence; a nasty trick that the Outfit program had placed in the field and front-line members of the program, if any of them had been captured any serious psychic probing would result in the subject's brain death. Any thing else was scaled from headaches to catatonia, something Gabriel and his teammates had learned to deal with.

"That's it?" He asked.

"That's it." His boss answered. "Special Agent Grahams will accompany you to the firing range and an agent there will over see the evaluation." He added. Gabriel nodded.

"Okay Barker, I'll see you around." He stood up and nodded in Agent Twelve's direction. "Ma'am." He left quickly and quietly. Lyle waited for a few seconds before turning to the mutant.

"So?" He asked. Karma pulled the snood of her head before answering. Her features hadn't changed much from her younger version, the skin had tightened and her eyes had a steely glint within them.

"Any memories of the six months he went rogue are still safely locked away, there's no residual trace of them in his consciousness, he's been getting strange dreams of a shadow and he's attracted to one of the females in the Xavier Institute, it's still early enough that he doesn't realise it yet." She paused before continuing "He's still doesn't completely believe the colonel about his unknown assailants the other day and is currently planning on tracking them down and…" she paused again. "He's began patching things up with his father and is planning on visiting him soon."

"And what is your opinion on his state of mind, overall?" Lyle asked.

"He's feeling lost, the two years he spent incarcerated have displaced him and he's having difficulty adapting." She answered carefully; trying to get a bead on Gabriel's mind was difficult enough with out the vague questions. "He's become an old dog in a new world and is finding it difficult learning new tricks." She tried explaining everything with an analogy. "He's going to need a lot of help." She finished quietly. Lyle gave her a sympathetic look.

"I know it was difficult seeing him again and I thank you for coming here. You don't need to worry about Gabriel; we have a lot of contingency plans ready for any situation. He'll be safe." Lyle said reassuringly.

"It's not Gabriel's safety that's the problem, he's a survivor." She intoned. "If he loses it again then anyone near him is in danger."


	17. Evaluation Pt2

**Unstable**

**Chapter 17**

**Evaluation Part 2**

The second day of high school was going as well as the first for the X-men and new mutants; Kurt and Evan had almost been forced into a fight, a teacher stopped it before it could get serious. The rest were targets for jibes and veiled threats.

At lunch the X-men all gathered outside in the quad, the rest of the student body gave them a wide birth.

"Anyone seen the Brotherhood today?" Scott asked the group, they shook theirs heads.

"I guess they're like, lying low after last night." Kitty answered. She glanced around the quad and caught several students looking their way again.

---------------------------------------------

Private First Class Kyle Denning was scared, no that wasn't an accurate description of his current state of mind; he had been scared of flying up until his first flight at ten, he had been scared of heights all his life and he had been scared to ask out Laura, his girlfriend, when he was in high school. What he was feeling was on a whole different plain from fear; he was so far beyond fear that he wasn't feeling _anything_ but the cold, dull certainty that his life was officially over.

He was back in the barrack toilets in the furthest stall from the door, kneeling before the bowl. He glanced down at his arm where he had rolled up his sleeve; his arm, all the way down to his wrist, was a dark green hard shell. He had put off looking at his arm for almost a week until he had tripped and dented the wing of the old colonel's on-base transport; it had taken the work of an hour to fix it up before he could check his arm; what he had seen made him vomit. The stuff wasn't isolated to his arm either, it had spread across his chest and making it's way along his body at a fast rate.

He leaned back against the stall door and squeezed his eyes shut, there may have been a change of CO but the methods were relatively similar; only they used mutant convicts and a couple of the bases marines who had shown signs of mutation, and he was next. The course of action was clear for the young private: Escape, Evade and disappear. He hauled himself out of the john and straight for his bunk, pulling his BDU sleeve down to hide his hardening skin. He opened his footlocker and grabbed the essentials he would need and made for his next port of call: the motor pool.

He pushed through the door and quickly walked straight to the key locker and grabbed at a random pair, by chance he got Stryker's on-base vehicle. He got in and started it up, the mechanics working around him didn't look up from there work as he drove passed, as far as they were concerned it was business as usual. The gate-guard gave Kyle a bit more of a problem but a hasty excuse about going into Vegas to meet his girlfriend for lunch managed to throw the guard off. Kyle did roll into Vegas, but was very quickly rolling out again on a greyhound, headed east.

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Gabriel pulled the vans panel door open and stepped out on to the concrete dock of the warehouses delivery area. After his evaluation he had been directed straight to the garage level and bundled into a van and directed straight to the firing range. He waited for one of the range guards to approach him and the agent who had escorted him for their IDs. He pulled out his ID wallet and handed it to his escort who handed them to the guard once he was close enough, he handed them back to the pair and beckoned Gabriel to follow him, Gabe's driver waited by the SUV.

The pair entered the double doors of the warehouse entrance and walked into a small circular corridor with a gantry running through it. The guard beckoned Gabriel wordlessly to walk the length of the gantry. Once he stepped onto it, two lasers activated on either side of him and slowly span around him following the contours of the tunnel. As the laser-light passed over his pistol and the knives secured in his calf pocket, a machine on the other side of the room pinged and the weapons glowed a bright red in conjunction with the lasers colour. He reached the other side of a gantry and stopped at a heavy vault door. It opened into a small box room with a grilled window and a bucket draw that swivelled to the other side of the wall on his left and a heavy looking door opposite him. Another guard sat on the other side of the grill; behind him on the walls of the room were enough small arms to supply a large gang.

"Hand in all your weapons, agent Shift." The guard ordered him and he complied; un-holstering his pulse pistol and placing it at the bottom of the draw, followed closely by his knives. "Go on through agent." The guard said as the draw snapped shut and the door buzzed and swung open. Waiting in the room was a tall, red haired man in a SHIELD assault uniform. The agent was old but Gabe could easily see that the guy was still in possession of his strength.

"You're Agent McKinner?" he asked, Gabriel clocked his Boston accent instantly.

"I am." He answered and held out his hand, the agent shook it. "And you are?"

"Timothy Dugan." Dugan answered. "But my friends call me Dum Dum." He added. Gabriel didn't comment on it. "I'm here to see you've still got what it takes to do the job."

"I'm able to do the job Dugan so let's just get this over with." Gabriel refused flatly to call him 'Dum Dum'. Dugan nodded and walked through to the armoury. Another guard was there and passed him a pistol, magazine and a box of rounds as soon as he saw him. He also passed out two pairs of ear defenders. Dugan walked straight through to the range and Gabriel followed. Dugan stopped at the nearest booth of the suspiciously small small-arms range. Gabriel looked about the concrete room; it was low and long with three paper targets fitted in at random lengths leaving two of the five booths free, one that was unused and the one Gabriel was about to use. Dugan pulled a paper target from a ream of them in a holder on the booth wall and attached it to a clip that was connected to an electric runner, the target was a simple human silhouette with a circle target where the heart would be and a smaller circle target where the bridge of the nose would be; each target had concentric rings that counted up from one on the outside to ten in the centre. Dugan punched a button on the wall and the target silently glided back the full length of the room, about seventy metres.

"You have twenty rounds, we're looking for a passing score of one hundred and seventy. If you don't pass you are considered unfit to carry a lethal firearm, if you do so while in SHIELD service you will be detained and tried, understand?" Dugan barked out in an official voice, Gabe just nodded his understanding as Dugan placed his ear defenders in. Gabriel checked the distance marker on the ceiling then gave him a quizzical look.

"At seventy metres?" he asked incredulously "the standard's fifty."

"Well you're not exactly the standard kind of agent now, are you?" he retorted, the challenge was evident in the tone of his voice; he wanted to know just how good the Brit was. Gabe, who never passed on a challenge, hefted the pistol in his hand and checked it over; it was a FN Five-seveN semi-automatic pistol, an odd little pistol produced in Belgium. Gabe had used its larger brother, the P-90 submachine gun once before and found it to be a reliable weapon and he had no doubt that the Five-seveN would perform just as well. He pulled back the slide and checked the chamber then placed the weapon on the booths firing ledge. After placing the ear defenders over his ears he opened the box of ammunition and picked up the magazine and thumbed the bullets into it one by one. The rounds were larger than the average small arms round; they were designed for use for the P-90 as well as the Five-seveN, a regular multi purpose round. Once the pistol magazine was fully stocked, Gabe pushed the mag into the handle slowly until he heard the magazine lock into place. Gabe cocked the slide and slowly took aim along the barrel of the pistol; he lined up the three pegs that made up the sight on the centre of the heart target and breathed slowly; he hated sharp shooting with a passion, did Gabe; if he was honest at any time in his life it would be now, the longest distance he had ever fired his weapon in anger had actually been around five metres from his target; of course he had taken the proficiency test but his handlers and trainers had never expected him to surpass or even just pass the median. "In your own time agent." Dugan interjected; Gabe could almost see the subtitles 'Hurry the hell up' as Dugan spoke. Gabe rolled his shoulders and neck and focused on the target, he could barely make out the two target rings as the foresight danced over them. _Just one twitch of my hand in the wrong direction_ he thought_ and I miss completely_. He closed his eyes, opened them again and breathed out. He took aim and slowly squeezed the trigger.

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Up in his tower, Tobias was still on over-watch. Pulling long hours on watch wasn't anything new to Tobias, or the rest of the STRIKE team. Tobias had watched everything through the lens of the telescope and had all the details of almost every vehicle within the mansion grounds, giving special attention to Gabriel's black sedan. A hand grabbed his ankle from out of the blue; he jumped in surprise and whipped his head around to see who it was.

"Evening Tobi." A silky voice called from around the corner of the tower's staircase wall. "I didn't mean to scare you." She said with a chuckle.

"You didn't scare me Cadence you just…surprised me." Tobias countered and returned to his vigil. He felt Cadence crawl over his legs and shimmy up beside him. What are you doing up here anyway?" He asked her. Cadence didn't answer at first, taking the time to get a general view of the mansion.

"I'm here to relieve you Tobi, you've been up here for almost twenty hours now." Tobi heard the faint traces of Cadence's French accent as she spoke. Cadence, like Gabriel and a couple of other Outfit members had undergone elocution lessons to diminish the harshness of their native accents; a necessary step in turning then into inconspicuous members of society. Tobias shuffled towards the wall to give Cadence room to look down the scope. "Marlyn made dinner so get your self something to eat." She said as she rested her right eye against the rubber eyepiece of the scope. Tobias crawled back around the corner and straightened up once he was out of sight of Xavier's. "Depends on what he made, I remember when he tried his hand at Oriental…Ugh!" He shot as he retreated down the tower stairs. Cadence shuffled a bit more, checked the scope, and seeing that there was no activity, checked Tobias' notes. It was a list of ID's and vehicle descriptions with the licence plate numbers carefully scribed next to them. She acquainted herself with the details then returned her eye to the scope.

-----------------------------

Gabriel placed the handgun on the firing ledge and took of his ear defenders. He took a slow breath to try and dispel some of the adrenalin rush he always got from this sort of activity and turned to Dugan who had his hand pressed on a button that brought the paper target back towards them.

"Well?" Gabriel asked, "How did I do?" Dugan took one look at the target.

"You failed by five points." He said. "Your aiming is crap, your grouping is substandard and you slap the trigger too much which diminishes your control over the pistols recoil." He explained.

"Just by five?" Gabe asked, ignoring the lecture. "That's better than my usual score." He added flippantly, much to Dugan's distain. Gabe threw his hands up defensively. "I just want to say; I'm not infantry and I'm not a cop, the furthest I'm likely to use a pistol is ten metres, max; any further and I'm usually issued a larger weapon. I'm more at home with throwing weapons and blades." Dugan's look stayed on his face.

"If you don't pass the test you don't carry a firearm, agent, it's as simple as that." He said. "And since you didn't pass, you are not carrying lethal weaponry while in SHIELD service." Gabe smiled coldly.

"Fine." He said. "I'll collect my things and head back to the institute." He picked up the Five-seveN and the box of ammunition and walked back through to the armoury; he dropped the weapon off and headed back out into the box room. The agent behind the grill placed his gear into the bucket and pushed it so it tilted towards Gabriel. Gabe pulled his knives and pulse pistol out and fitted them back into their places on his person.

"Put the gun back agent." He heard Dugan order him from the doorway. Gabe ignored him and snapped the fastener on his holster closed. "I'm not going to ask you again." Dugan snapped, Gabe heard the soft sound of metal moving against nylon; Dugan had drawn his firearm.

"You know the rules Dugan, don't draw your weapon unless you have cause, and mean, to use it." Gabriel warned him. He tapped his own weapon. "This is a mark one pulse pistol, a _non-lethal_ firearm." He turned to Dugan. "I'm fully within the law to carry it just as I'm within SHIELD rules and regs." Gabe walked away. "If you've got a problem with that, I suggest you send Fury a line." He clambered into the SUV and dropped into the seat with an angered sigh, he would be seriously disadvantaged in the field now that his arms licence was reduced to non-lethal, knives and such never seemed to count but if he got into a fire-fight he would have to rely on a wholly untested technology; he would have to test it out once he got back to Xavier's. He casually glanced out of the window and saw the corner of his warehouse, once again he wondered if Fury knew about the warehouse and it's contents. _I'm going to need an excuse as to why I've rented that warehouse_. He thought _Maybe I_should_ do something with the space. Maybe convert it into a safe house_.

--------------------------------------------

"You've got a message from NCIS agent Carter." A passing agent said as he handed Carter a piece of folded card. Woo was out getting their lunch.

"Thanks." She said and unfolded the card. She closed it and threw it casually onto Woos desk and picked up her phone. She dialled the number from memory and waited on the line. Someone picked up on the other end after a few minutes. "This is Sharon Carter, I would like to speak to colonel Fury please." She was told to stay on the line. After waiting for a few more minutes Fury's voice barked down the phone.

"Report agent Carter." He ordered. She filled him in on what they had done over the last few days, from identifying the second assassin, right up to getting the note from NCIS. "And what did the message say Carter?" He asked.

"They looked into the gunny's record and found it was exemplary, no clues as to why he was in Washington, though he was on leave." She answered. "Also NCIS has been getting numerous reports of marines going AWOL, sir. Twenty in the last week." She added.

"Twenty?" Fury asked incredulously. "Something's going down, send Gabriel in to investigate. Tell him to deal with it as he sees fit." He ordered.

"Are you sure sir?" Carter asked. "The word has just come in that he failed his firearms proficiency sir. He wouldn't be much use in the field."

"He won't need a weapon to penetrate Area 51's defences. Brief him when he next turns up." Fury told her. "And make sure you ask him how he messed up too." He added. On cue, the elevator door opened and Gabriel exited onto the office floor.

"Don't worry sir, I will." She said before she hung up. She got up from the desk and stretched away the tension of the last 24 hours and walked over to the Brit. "Is it really that difficult to hit a target Gabriel?" She asked with a smile. He didn't return it.

"Is there a reason you're over here annoying me Carter?" He snapped.

"I need to see you in the briefing room, give me five minutes." She answered him.

"And where _is_ the briefing room?"

"Down the hall, fourth door on the right. The one marked 'briefing room'." She told him and walked back to her desk.

----------------------------------

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

Fury hung up his cell phone and watched the scientists work their way through the problem ahead of them. There were four white coats huddled around a large block, quietly discussing among them selves, though to Fury it looked like they were arguing.

"Well?" He asked them after a few minutes of hushed 'debating'. One of the scientists looked up.

"Are you sure of this sir? We don't know what it would do to him." The lead scientist answered.

"It can't be worse than his present situation Hank." Fury answered.

"Very true colonel." Hank Pym answered, "Though I am compelled to ask if you trust this data." He added. "It all seems a little far-fetched."

"Four clear successes and you're still un-convinced?" Fury asked incredulously.

"Three teenagers and one sixty-year-old mutant are not viable data." Hank Pym intoned. "If your right then the 'X-gene' that governs mutant evolution has a governing factor in the S3." Hank continued as he bent over the piece of paper an assistant had just handed to him. "It seems that the Cap's DNA agrees with you Colonel." Pym uttered with the surprise evident in his voice. "The introduction of an X-gene has stabilized the Cap's DNA. The serum is viable." He added.

"Then get to it Hank, I want Rogers up and walking in ten days."


	18. HUD

**A/N:**I want to once again thank all those who have taken the time to read my fic, and also ask if anyone reading could leave a review; good, bad, indifferent, it doesn't matter as long as it makes sense and isn't completely puerile I'm more than happy to read it. Now that my whining is over with, on with the fic.

**Unstable**

**Chapter 18**

**HUD**

"We have been getting reports that marine personnel have been going UA from Area 51 and we have no definitive reason as to why." Agent Carter began. "That's why you, Gabriel, are going in. Fury wants answers and you are going to find them." She added. Both she and Gabriel were sat either side of the head chair of a large oval mahogany conference table.

"A few marines take time off to see their girlfriends and you're sending me in?" Gabriel asked. "Isn't that just a _little_ bit on the paranoid side?" He asked also. Carter pushed the NCIS telegram across the table; Gabe trapped it with his right hand and read it. "Is this accurate?"

"Absolutely. The numbers are a little large for any mundane reason. There has to be something going on that we don't know about." She pushed a folder and a pen across the table. "Write down what you will need in there and we'll have it delivered to you. Two things first though; Number one: We don't want any fatalities and since you failed the test, no firearms. And Second: The X-men are not, repeat_not_ to be told about this mission." Sharon explained emphatically.

"Consider it done." Gabe said as he finished his list. "What data do you want, exactly?" He asked as he pushed the, now completed, list back to Carter.

"Names, dates, times and official investigation results, if any." Carter answered the Briton. "That's all we need besides the actual reasoning of the marines absences." She answered. "Anything else is a guaranteed bonus." She added. Gabe stood, a full stop in the briefing that he felt could continue for a few hours.

"I'll bring you everything I can within a two week period." He promised. "And I will need the use of a C5 for transport and insertion." He added. Carter nodded as she looked over the list.

"We'll have this ready and delivered within twenty four hours, you can initiate your mission any time after that." She stood up and walked with Gabriel out of the room and towards the elevator. "And don't worry about the high school debrief, we've handed our findings to the UNCIGC and they'll let us know when they've decided their next course of action." Gabe gave her a confused look at first which slowly resolved into realisation; he'd completely forgotten about his debrief. He stepped into the lift as soon as it opened.

"Thanks Carter." Was all he said as the elevator doors closed between them.

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The corridor was emptying out quickly as Jean and Scott walked to their next classes, even when the halls of Bayville high were filled with students the pair had been given a wide space, the oppressive atmosphere the two X-men were constantly finding themselves in had caused them to move closer together protectively.

Jean stopped as they passed the now bare trophy cabinet and stared regretfully, feeling the missing weight in her bag where her MVP trophy had been, now resting on the principal's desk where she had placed it this morning.

"Jean?" Scott asked her worryingly.

"Nothing." She said after a pause. "It just looks so empty." She added, motioning towards the empty shelves.

"That isn't your fault Jean." Scott said reassuringly.

"I know Scott, It's just that everyone who won a championship last year is having their credibility questioned; human as well as mutant. It feels a little depressing knowing that people will hold me accountable for this." She answered quietly. Scott ushered her away from the cabinet and tried to reassure her on the way to her class.

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Gabriel eased his saloon out of the SHIELD office car park and out onto the street. The road home was quiet and empty, letting him reflect on his impending mission and what he would do to secure the warehouse; obviously SHIELD, especially Fury, would have to be notified of his intent. On the plus side he would have the technological engineering might of SHIELD and all the marvels and gadgets that were always put into SHIELD safe houses but on the downside; SHIELD would know and there was the chance that the APC would be discovered…_unless_ he thought _I disguise it; a paint job, additional kit and a change of identification would help me claim it as a personal buy._ He slowed down for the turn into Grey Maulkin. _I'm going to need some assistance faking the financial records_. He mused.

-----------------------------------------

Morigan swept over Bayville, easily passing from thermal to thermal as she surveyed the streets below. She had left Gabriel when he had gotten into the SUV to go for his testing, she didn't need to be there and would only get nervous around the guns and loud noise.

Morigan, like Gabriel, loved towns and cities; she loved finding and exploring all the nooks and crannies that occupied the edifices above street level. After spending two years living and eating in, on and near the asylum just flying over a mile was a massive freedom for her, which she was relishing.

She banked on a thermal and headed north, following the freeway. She felt out with her limited telepathy and felt a connection with several minds, nothing more than surface thoughts; worries, plans, hopes and fears of the moment and there was no surprise at what the current fear of the moment was as the news re-ran the high school attack for the seventh time. A darting shape on the roof of a nearby building caught her eye, lunch was arriving; Morigan folded her wings and dived.

Morigan remembered a lot since the time of her change, actually she remembered everything in freakish clarity and detail and the one thing she had never done; was scavenge for her food, the _evolved_ side of her couldn't stomach the thought of rotten meat, she now preferred the hunt and the taste of a fresh kill, no, she enjoyed the_thrill_ of the hunt and _relished_ the taste of a fresh kill

As the rat scurried directly beneath her, Morigan arched her back and flared her wings to gracefully follow the rodent, a mere foot above it. She stretched out her claws inches from the kill when a familiar mind reached for her. The resulting shock caused her body to freeze up and tumble across the roof.

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Gabe locked up the car after taking off all of his accoutrements and replacing them in the boot. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the residence level and waited for the lift to descend. He wanted to see how Hank and Forge were coming along with their research and acquire whatever notes they had so far. The elevator doors quietly opened out into the main living area. He could see Ororo doing something in the kitchenette but didn't stop to say anything more than 'hello'. Gabe navigated his way through the hallways by memory. After ten minutes he found himself in front of a familiar set of double doors, he opened them and walked in to find both Hank and forge busy.

"Afternoon guys, just come to see how you're getting on." He greeted them. "Any progress?" He asked. Hank gestured to a freezer without looking up from the scope he was bent over studiously.

"We have made a lot of progress Gabriel, just take a look." Gabriel opened the freezer and looked at the syringes. He glanced back at Hank.

"And these are?" He asked.

"_Those_ are the delivery system for your Nanite boosters." Forge answered him instead. The young genius gestured to a dentist style chair. "D'you want to try them out?" Gabe sat in the chair and raised his left sleeve.

"Go for it." He answered. Hank and Forge busied themselves strapping Gabriel securely into the chair and attaching several nodes from a ECG monitor and other machines that gabriel didn't recognise. Forge walked over to the wall freezer and pulled out the syringe which had the number one stencilled on the glass. He approached Gabriel on his left side.

"This first one is a localised injection, if we've designed this right it should create a jack-module in your skin so you can inject directly into your blood stream. I'm warning you now that it _will_ hurt." He warned. Gabe nodded and waited for Forge to start. Hank quickly attached several pads to Gabriel's temples and wrist; the first was to measure his brainwaves and the second was to measure his heart rate.  
Forge swabbed Gabriel's forearm then readied the needle. Gabe watched as Forge placed the needle over his arm and then slowly insert it under the skin, Gabe winced as he felt the needle puncture him and then felt his lower left arm go numb.

"Uh, Forge?" He asked.

"The pain should be gone quickly Gabe just hold in there." Forge said and withdrew the needle, on the surface of Gabriel's skin, the silver liquid of the nanites pooled in the needle hole and then slowly spread out.

"There isn't any pain Forge, there isn't any feeling whatsoever." Gabe said, worry evident in his voice. Hank grabbed Gabriel's hand softly.

"Can you feel this?" He asked.

"No." Hank moved his hand and pinched the skin between Gabriel's thumb and forefinger.

"How about this?" Gabe shook his head.

"No, but my arm feels cold now." He answered. The liquid stopped spreading at around an inch diameter and began to solidify; the centre receded back into Gabe's arm and formed into a circle with two square offshoots.

"Alright Gabriel, everything is shaping up okay." Forge told him. "The nanites are connecting with your nervous system, that's why you've lost feeling in our arm, and your circulatory system, that's why your arm feels cold." Gabriel didn't say anything.

"Hank?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yes Gabriel?"

"Could you let go of my hand, I'm beginning to get some feeling back in it." He said. Hank did as he was asked and let Gabe's hand drop onto the arm rest.

"How about the cold feeling?" Forge asked. Gabe flexed his arm as the uncomfortable sensation of pins and needles travelled up his arm.

"It feels weird." He answered, a look of confusion on his face. "My skin feels warm but the rest of my arm feels cold." He flexed his fingers to try and dispel the pins and needles. "Icy cold." The jack had finished forming; the surface was smooth and looked like nothing more than a raised section of his skin, only a dull steel colour instead of flesh pink.

Hank and Forge released the restraints on Gabriel's arms, pulled the nodes off of his skin and then helped him to stand. Gabe held up his left arm and looked at the jack, and then gingerly touched it with his other hand; the metal felt warm. He stood up slowly and flexed his arm, the jack felt like a scar; still supple but there was a little resistance to his movement. Gabe approached the cabinet and picked up one of the needles.

"When you want to use the injector you feed it into the jack and twist to the right until it locks, that opens a valve directly into your bloodstream and once there, the nanites connect with their counterparts in your body and complete their function." Forge explained to the Brit. "Everything after that is mental." He added, which caused Gabriel to raise an eyebrow, Roger Moore style.

"Oh?" he asked. "How so?" he asked, hefting the needle of silver liquid in his hand.

"Well, our theory is that once the doctored nanites enter your system all you have to do to activate them is think it, like any ESP ability." Forge explained. Gabriel looked nonplussed.

"So…?" He asked.

"_So_ all you have to do is think of activating the nanite injection and it, well, activates." Forge explained further. Gabe looked at the label; it was fairly easy to figure out, it was a simple cross. He put it back, figuring that it was best to let his GSW heal on it's own, a reminder of his first of most likely many run-ins with the STRIKE team who had attempted to kill him. He picked up one with a symbol he didn't recognise; an eye that had a solid line parallel to one side and dashes emitting from the other like a child's drawing of sunrays and next to that was a question mark.

"What's this one?" He asked, holding the syringe label out so the scientists could see. Forge leaned forward to get a better look at the symbol.

"That one is night vision, we think." He answered. Gabe gave him the Moore eyebrow again.

"You_think_?" He asked.

"All we can tell is it's a visual upgrade, all the others we know for sure but that one, the computer couldn't tell us for sure." He explained. Gabe shut the cabinet and returned to the chair.

"Then let's see what it does." He said then inserted the syringe into the jack and twisted.

"Gabriel?" Hank started. "I don't think that's wise." He warned, but it was too late, Gabriel pushed the plunger down and the silver liquid disappeared into Gabriel's arm.

--------------------------------

_"How in the hell..?"_ Morigan cawed in pain as the voice entered her ears with the din of an air horn.

"_She's awake already?"_ another voice asked. _She's only been out for a couple of hours." _Morigan recognised that voice and shuddered with fear at it. _"Shall I put her back under? It's no trouble with such a weak mind."_ Anger washed the fear away and fuelled her retaliation; she compiled every bad, sick, gory memory she and Gabriel had and pulsed it out into every mind in the room; three of them she recognised and one she didn't. All four of her captures fell to the floor; a flash of pride went through the raven as she opened her eyes and loped off down the table before spreading her wings and flapping into the air towards the door. A black sack appeared from the other side of the door frame; she was too close dodge and flew straight into it. She wanted to struggle out of the bag but a hitherto unused instinct forced her to calm down, in the inky blackness she heard the voice of the bagger.

"_Sorry Morigan but we can't let you go, not until we have Gabriel back in custody."_

_-------------------------------- _

"Well?" Forge asked Gabriel after a few minutes had passed by since Gabriel had injected the nanites. "Anything?" Gabe blinked, looked around the lab and then blinked again.

"Nothing, yet." He answered. "But I'm not dead or dying so that's a plus." There _had_ been a cold flash through Gabriel's arm when he injected the nanites. The cold feeling had travelled up his arm and dissipating around his neck. "So I just think about activating the nanites and the upgrade starts?" he asked.

"We think so." Hank answered him.

"Any specific word?" He asked. "Start? Run? Boot? Go? Activate…Ah!" Gabe's vision went white, so bright that his head began to hurt; he doubled over with the pain.

"Gabe!" He heard Forge shout and heard footsteps come closer to him, he flung an unseen arm out.

"Stay back Forge, I'm fine." His sight was beginning to bleed back in. "I just lost my sight for a second." He rubbed at his eyes.

"Is there any change? What can you see?" Forge asked, his worry already replaced by curiosity.

"Nothing new Forge, everything looks exactly the same." He looked around the room. "No NV, no IRV. There's nothing." He rubbed his eyes again but stopped mid-rub. "Actually, I do see something." He said. "I see writing." He opened his eyes. "And I still do." Dark red writing scrolled down Gabe's vision like information on a computer screen.

"What is it saying?" Hank asked. Gabe tried to focus on the passing script.

"Uh, Systolic pressure at one-one-five, visual acuity at 20/10." He found the rest hard to read. "Give me a second guys it's a little hard to read." Gabriel faced the brushed steel wall and focused on a spot on it, the writing swam into focus. "One GSW in left shoulder (trapezius fully penetrated, scapula partially penetrated by 3.75mm), multiple sub-dermal bruises across upper torso…the nanites are going through my recent medical history, no wait, they're telling me it." He looked at the two inventors. "You haven't created an NV upgrade; you've given me a HUD to my bio-systems." The scrolling text swam in and out of focus as his eyes adjusted to the varying distances of the lab walls and stations. Gabriel thought about shutting it off and the red script bled away. "That's going to come in handy." He glanced at his watch and figured that if he hadn't died after ten minutes he was more-or-less going to be okay. He rolled down his sleeve, itching around the jack absentmindedly as he did so, and then sat down at a nearby station. "Can you please print off all the data you have Hank? I want to give this to SHIELD so they can see if there's anything they can do with it." He asked. Hank opened a nearby draw and handed Gabriel the thick folder inside.

"It's all there, Gabriel." Gabriel nodded his thanks and left them.

-----------------------------------

Gabriel returned to the main living section and left the folder on his chair before going back to the garage level and taking his car out of the hanger. He parked it at the edge of the wood section of the institute grounds and popped the trunk; taking out the pulse pistol, laser pointer, machete and a belt of throwing knives along with a piece of sheet metal and rope he had placed in there before leaving the hanger.

He carried the items to the nearest clearing and got to work. Ten minutes later he cast an eye over his work: bisecting the northern third of the oval clearing was the main length of the rope with the metal sheet and five branches of varying lengths and girths cut from nearby trees. Gabe stood by a fallen tree in the bottom third of the clearing roughly 54 feet from his makeshift targets; laying along the trunk of the tree was his pistol, two more power packs and knife belt, all ready for use. He palmed the pulse pistol in his right hand and turned it on, confirming the charge was at one hundred percent before bringing the weapon up and lining it up with the metal panel. He tightened his finger on the trigger and then pulled it fully. The pulse pistol emitted a high-pitched whine followed by a crash as the panel snapped off of the rope and dug into the tree behind it. Gabriel stared; first at the tree and then at the gun in his hands, he'd barely felt any kickback and the only indication that a shot had been fired was a small semi-transparent sphere where he had hit the metal panel.

"Bloody hellfire." H exclaimed and took aim on the thickest branch. His phone rang before he could take the next shot

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The Bayville bus depot was busy, so busy that no one noticed Wanda Maximoff as she made her way through the throng of the crowd, deftly passing several police officers who she knew were on the lookout for her since her face was splashed all over the news, all the Brotherhood were in the federal line of sight at the moment but, with the exception of her brother, none of them had an officially bad record.

She walked out of the depot and past the taxi rank to the nearest phone booth, she fished out the PDA that the SHIELD agent had given her and looked through the contacts list; it was very sparse with only three numbers; one was Shift's cell-phone, one was the Xavier institute and the last one was for the Bayville SHIELD office, the three numbers where she could get a hold of Shift. She put some money into the payphone, lifted the receiver and tried his cell-phone first and, after four rings, got an answer.

"Agent Shift." She heard on the other end.

"Agent Shift, this is Wanda Maximoff." She answered him. "When we last met you said you would help me, do you remember?" She asked him. There was a pause and a metallic double-click on the other end of the phone.

"I did." He answered. "And I do remember, how can I help?" Wanda glanced around her nervously.

"I need your help in finding my father." She said, her voice thick with barely contained anger. "I've looked everywhere I could think of and I have nothing."

"Where are you now?" He asked her. She paused at that, wondering if she could trust him. She hadn't known at all yet he had done nothing but help her, it worried her.

"I'm in Bayville." She answered, feeling it best to be vague.

"I take it that's all I'm getting?" He asked. There was a pause, she figured Gabriel was thinking. "Alright then, I'm going to send an address and instructions to your PDA, follow them and you should get what you need, phone me when you do and we'll go from there." He told her and then hung up. She replaced the handset and walked out of the booth towards a taxi, her PDA bleeped along the way. She got in the back of the nearest cab and fished out the computer.

"Where to?" The cabbie asked her, shifting around in his seat to get a look at her. She showed him the address and a hard look to discourage the roving look in his eye.

"This address." She replied. The cabbie whistled.

"That's a bad part of town missy." He said. She gave him a cold smile.

"Then I guess I'll fit right in." She said.


	19. Tracking

**Unstable:**

**Chapter 19**

**Tracking**

Night had descended on Bayville and the X-men and New Mutants were relaxing in the dining area of the living quarters. A night training session had been scheduled for the New Mutants but it was being delayed as one of their number hadn't showed; Gabriel. An angry Wolverine had stalked in and out of every room on every level looking for him but the others were relaxed, figuring that the longer and later Gabriel was the less likely they would be subjected to Mr. Logan's twisted idea of education.

Gabriel looked down on the dark figure of Wanda as she walked past a tenement building. He kept out of sight by traversing the rooftops silently and had done from the parking lot he'd parked in half a mile back. He tensed up when the louts hanging outside the tenement began to bother Wanda but the need to intervene was stylishly muted by Wanda abilities, it was beginning to look like Gabriel had wasted his time in following her. He winced as he watched her turn into the dark alley he had arranged for the meeting between Wanda and Caliban, a migraine was pounding away at the recesses of his mind.

-----------------------------------------------

"Well?" Logan growled irritably. "Did you find him?" He asked Xavier. They were both in Charles' office sitting either side of the desk; Logan was in uniform, ready for the training session.

"Only just, it's hard to get a fix on his mind, and when I do I sense that he is feeling pain. I do not wish to harm the boy…"

"-Leave that to me!" Logan barked.

"…By digging any further. However I'm sure he'll be along shortly, he was down town when I found him." Xavier continued as if he was never interrupted.

---------------------------------------------------

Gabriel waited at the end of the road and watched Wanda walk back out of the alley and walk towards him, making sure to eyeball the goons who had bothered her, he'd decided that while she was most likely going to kill him for it he would tell her how much he knew of her that they'd shared a wing in the asylum for two years. He wanted to make sure they got off on the right foot…this time anyway and he figured that it would come up at some point. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to the PDA she possessed, it read: **TURN RIGHT, WALK TO THE END OF THE ROAD**. She received it and followed the instructions.

Gabe walked out of the shadow he had been in an into the harsh glare of a street light, he was wearing his uniform with a grey jacket over the top for warmth; he had made sure to keep his hood off but handy in case of trouble. Wanda stopped as soon as she saw him but she didn't seem to recognise him.

"Wanda it's me, Shift. My real name's Gabriel but we've met before but I was going under a different name." He watched her work through her memories until the light of recognition crossed features.

"Halsey." She said with an angry glare.

"Easy Wanda, I was placed in that asylum to look after you, to make sure your father never came back for you." He explained backing away slightly to keep himself out of arms length; he caught the circle of light they were standing in dancing slightly as the pole warped. "I don't even know why I'm trying to defend myself, you're the one who cracked my skull open." He added.

"Why?" Wanda asked. There was the flash of anger and then she seemed to calm down. "Just tell me that, just tell me why you had to be there." He beckoned her to follow him, which she did.

"To begin with my boss, Nicholas Fury didn't want you anywhere near your father, he's dangerous enough as it is and secondly he needed me out of the way for a spell, I can't remember why though." He looked at her and tried to get across how serious he was. "Your powers are frighteningly powerful; Fury, your father and even Xavier feared what you could potentially do; only your father overreacted, fury procrastinated and Xavier tried to understand." They turned a corner and walked up the parking lot ramp "My orders said to protect you because Fury wants you to join SHIELD at some point, he feels you could do some good there. But I couldn't protect you all the time and for that, I'm sorry."

"You were in the cell next to mine, weren't you?" She asked, the anger dissipating from her voice. "I heard you scream a lot," she added. "I heard them beat you." Gabriel fished out his car keys and unlocked his car from across the area.

"I heard them do worse to you Wanda, I tried to intervene whenever I could." He said quietly. "But with all the drugs and the…the other stuff, I wasn't strong enough." He ushered her into the passenger seat and closed the door before walking around to his side and getting in. As soon as he was in he began to act like the previous conversation hadn't even taken place. "So what did Caliban tell you? Where's Magneto?"

"Caliban couldn't find him." She answered him. "But he did find my brother." She added, Gabriel nodded in understanding and pushed the left side of the computer; causing the computer screen to swivel to face her.

"Type in everything you got on there and we'll head there now." He started the car and backed it out of the bay; he was out of the parking lot and driving down the street towards the flyover when Wanda announced she was finished. He pushed the screen his way. "Christ, he's in New Jersey?" The GPS calculated the route and gave him an estimated driving time of two hours from his current position to the town of Newton in New Jersey. "Okay, We'll head there now and bunker down for a couple of hours while we figure out what to do." He said.

"Why don't we just plan it out now and get him when we get there" Wanda asked.

"Because A: You look like you've been travelling all day, so you should get some rest B: I really don't like having to concentrate on the drive and tactical logistics at the same time and C: We don't know where your brother _is_ exactly." Gabe explained as he joined the throng of highway traffic. He tapped at the screen a couple of times until music filled the car. "I had a few hours to kill while I waited for you so I downloaded a ton of music to the cars hard drive, it beats the CD multi-changers I used to have." He explained as Dire Straits sang out about getting their money for nothing. "Get some rest hen, I'll wake you when we get there." Wanda pushed the seat back and lay down. After a few moments of quiet Wanda was still awake, she was sitting next to someone who had known what she went through in the asylum, and had tried to do something. She found herself wondering just who exactly _was_ Gabriel.

"So what would you be doing now if you weren't here?" She asked. There was a pause before Gabe answered

"Not much."

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"He's a dead man when I find him!" Logan growled as he walked out of the lift onto the living quarters floor. "Let's go guys, I want you topside in ten minutes." He told the New Mutants, the X-men had already entered the woods to prepare for the nights training.

"What about the new guy?" Ray asked Logan as the team sans Jamie, who'd been ordered to bed an hour ago, made their way to the locker rooms.

"Spook's dropped from the radar so we're going to have to go ahead without him." Logan answered him. "Now go get suited up."

"Okay guys and gal, the object of this training session is to get to the centre of forest without being seen." Wolverine told the New Mutants, they looked at the oppressing darkness behind the first line of trees and, as one, all thought '_How hard can this be?_' Logan saw that thought written all over their faces and smiled, he produced a remote and pointed it over his shoulder and at the trees, at the press of a button floodlights turned on with a loud _clack_; flooding the clearings and patches of forest in blinding light. "And now for the catch; you have to avoid the lights, one of the X-men are in each clearing and waiting for you to slip up, get caught and you're out." He paused a second. "And as an added bonus there are sound sensors and motion sensors placed around, they are set to a universal level so if you move to fast or make to much sound the unit that picked you up will alert one of the X-men to your position, if they find you, you're out. You _can_ use your powers but, remember, any light or sound will alert the X-men to your presence." He stepped out of the way. "In your own time."

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The highway was almost deserted as Gabriel and Wanda passed over the state border. The music in the car had changed from Dire Straits and into UB40, currently lamenting about having many rivers to cross. Gabriel quickly glanced at the sleeping form of Wanda; she had nodded off while Gabriel had been answering one of her questions: what he had been doing since Area 51.

"_Take the next slip road and head south._" The satnav ordered him coolly over the music. Which had now slipped to Billy Joel singing Lullaby. Gabriel found himself humming along to the tune.

He knew he was going to be in deep trouble when he got back to the institute, he was supposed to be showing what he could do tonight in front of the faculty and students but something more important had come up. He glanced at Wanda again as she shifted into a better position, _all right it isn't life or death but it's still important _he thought to himself. What little traffic there had been dwindled to nothing, so Gabe pushed the accelerator to the floor and watched the needle of the speedometer rise up to 70mph. He kept the speed up until they reached the outskirts of a small town where he scaled back to a slightly more respectable thirty. The satnav beeped and alerted him to the end of their journey, Gabe slowed the car down further and scanned both sides of the street, getting a feel for the place while he looked for…_there we go_, a motel came into view just passed a diner that looked like a throwback from the '50's.

"Wanda?" He called to his passenger but she didn't stir. He pulled into the motel lot and stopped by the office. He opened his door and got out, carefully closing the door again so as not to wake Wanda and entered the office to rent a room for the night.

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Evan 'Spyke' Daniels was feeling very proud of himself, he'd managed to wrangle it so he had the clearing directly between the start of the course and the goal and had been rewarded with three of the New Mutants sitting out in the middle of the clearing around a pole planted for that purpose. Evan stalked around the three, idly spinning one of his bone spikes in his hand. He knew the rest were around the clearing, wondering what to they needed to do to get past him.

"So are you clear on the plan?" Iceman asked Berzerker in a harsh whisper, Magma and Sunspot had already been caught out through the sound sensors and Cannonball had tripped one of the motion sensors as well as the nearest sound sensors when he attempted to use his powers to barrel past Evan and now all three of them sat dejectedly while Spyke waited.

"I can wait all night if I have to." He called out into the darkness.

"Oh, he won't have to." Berserker said with a smirk, barely visible in the outer reaches of the floodlight. "Okay Iceman, let's do this." He retreated into the forest and slowly tracked around the clearing until he found the base of the floodlight and the breaker-box _oh_-so temptingly attached to the base of the light pole. Ray knelt down by the breaker and placed his right hand near the fuses, a spark of electricity jumped from his fingers and played around the fuses until smoke roiled out of them, the floodlights dimmed, followed by an audio sensor blaring into life. _Great_. Berzerker thought sarcastically and ran around the clearing, setting off motion sensors as he did, giving his pursuers an accurate bead on his location.

Iceman on the other hand used the initial confusion to freeze Evan's legs to the floor before rushing through the clearing, smiling at Evan's protests as he did.

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Gabriel walked into the office and tapped the service bell; it was a few moments before the clerk came out of a backroom; Gabriel caught sight of some office furniture and equipment.

"Can I help you? He asked.

"One room for the night please, two single beds preferably." He said. The clerk immediately produced the guest book from under the counter and handed Gabe a pen. He wrote his cover name in and then wrote in Wanda under an assumed name and his cover's last name. The clerk glanced from the guest book, to Gabe and behind Gabriel, most likely at the sleeping form of Wanda in the car. After a moment the clerk reached behind him and took a key off of one of the thirty hooks on the wall.

"Here you go, room sixteen; it's in the far corner from this office, ground floor. There's an ice machine a couple of yards down from your door." Gabe took the key and headed back out without a word and quietly got back into the car and released the handbrake, He slowly snaked the through the parking lot until he was directly in front of their room.

He stopped the car and tried to wake Wanda up again, no dice. He sighed, the two choices ahead of him were certain to get him hurt either way; either he left her in the car, thus meaning that she would wake up cold, cranky and sore or he could carry her in where she would be warm and comfortable but annoyed that he may have overstepped the mark. _Ach, screw it_! He thought and got out and opened the room door, a quick glance inside told him everything he needed to know; two beds, one easy chair and a desk-come-chest of drawers along the wall opposite the beds. He walked around to the other side of the car, opened her door, released her belt and lifted her out. _Don't wake up, don't wake up!_ He cradled her in his arms and carried her through to the bed farthest from the door and laid her down. He grabbed the sheets from the other bed and draped them over her. With Wanda taken care of he went back outside and grabbed his gear, all packed in a duffel bag for the journey. He locked up the car, dropped the bag by the easy chair, closed the door then moved the chair around so it faced the door. He sat down and reached into his bag. From it he pulled his pulse pistol and a PDA. He placed the pistol on the desk next to him and cradled the PDA in his lap. He rested one hand on the pistol and the other on the left arm of the chair and closed his eyes, he dozed; getting a little rest but still aware of the room around, if anyone tried to break in, he would know at the soonest moment. In a small out of the way town such as this one he didn't expect any trouble, but he didn't like the hotel clerk, he couldn't put his finger on it but there was something…_off_ about him.

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The clerk, an unassuming man named Donald, picked up the phone on his desk and punched in a number from memory, it was picked up almost immediately on the other end.

"Sir, two people have booked a room here, I only got a look at one of them and even though he is not on one of the photos you gave me I still find him suspicious." The voice on the other end asked a question. "I did not get a look at the other person." Another question was asked. "He is in the room nearest to me." The voice spoke. "I will keep an eye on him Sir, good bye." He hung up and went into the back room where along one wall was the usual office furniture; arrayed to give the impression of an office through the slightly ajar door. Along the opposite wall was a bank of monitors all showing vaguely the same night vision view of people sleeping, all except room sixteen and room thirteen. In room sixteen Donald pondered over the reason the male of the two occupants slept in the chair but in room thirteen there was no sign of its occupant; Donald had rented the room to a jittery marine a couple of hours before; Donald recognised, and sympathized with, the hunted look instantly and had given him a discount. Now there was no sign of the marine, Donald would usually find a reason to go over and investigate but the soldier looked like he could brake him in half and Donald didn't want to piss him off.

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Kyle Denning tried to crawl further into the corner of the dark bathroom; his mutation had spread to almost every part of his body, leaving his head for last. He didn't know why his body was hardening into a green chitin and he had been praying every night for it to stop; he had lost all feeling in his arms and chest and was losing feeling in his legs. With the transformation had come a large appetite; he'd eaten three dinners in the diner earlier. If he kept this up his financial situation would get bleak sooner rather than later, even now he started to feel hungry. He closed his eyes and held on to the vain, thin thread of hope that everything would be all right when he got home.

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The New Mutants walked dejectedly from the woods with the X-men following behind them.

"Just three more steps and we would have had that." Bobby complained. "How could you _not_ see Kitty coming at you?" He asked Ray, who said nothing.

"So you failed." Logan stated as they approached him. "Well I hope you had fun tonight because we will be doing this _again_ tomorrow night, and we'll keep doing it until you get it right." He added, the New Mutants looked impassive. "Go get some sleep, X-men also." He watched them go before heading into the woods; he walked until he reached a clearing that hadn't been used in the night's activities. He looked at the mass of wood splinters that was the remains of Gabriel's makeshift shooting range. He picked up the battered piece of metal sheeting and sniffed it; he couldn't smell any propellant or metal other than the steel, whatever hit it, it wasn't a bullet.

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A new dawn found Gabriel awake in his chair, he hadn't needed much sleep beyond his usual four hours and luckily his night-time spectre hadn't shown up. He spent his waking hours connecting to the county's governmental web access via the hotel's wireless access; something he was surprised this place had. He started checking any and all video feeds for a glimpse of Pietro Maximoff, after downloading a picture of him from SHIELD so he could recognise him. He found nothing from the last day. Hunger caused his stomach to growl, distracting him from his search. His thoughts turned to breakfast and the little diner that was just a brisk walk across the road. He glanced at Wanda and figured she wasn't getting up any time soon; he decided to get some breakfast and then get back to work.

He closed the hotel door behind him and walked through the hotel forecourt towards the diner, passing the hotel office as he did so. He looked in quickly but didn't see any movement inside.

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Inside the diner was cool and clean and, much to Gabriel's delight, fairly empty. There were a middle-aged couple in one booth and a pair of younger males in another; at the counter was a silver-haired teen_that can't be..._. Gabe walked by the teen to the other end of the counter and sat down on one of the stools on the right-angled section of the counter so he could get a good look at the boy. What he saw confirmed his suspicions; He was sitting across from Pietro Maximoff AKA Quicksilver. Gabe quietly ordered a cup of tea and a fry up with the works as he watched Pietro drink his coffee and read his paper. Gabe pulled his phone out and sent a message to Wanda's PDA.

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In the Bayville offices of SHIELD Grahams was at her desk calling in the agency's suppliers; pulling together Gabriel's eclectic list of gadgetry he believed he would need to break in to Area 51.

"Have you got all that written down?" She asked the other end. "Good, now finally we'll need one case of flash-bangs, one pound of C4 explosive, one case of smoke grenades and one tranquilizer rifle with thirty darts." A pause was evident on the other end followed by an affirmative on the order. "And we need all that by tomorrow night." She flinched away from the phone when the person on the other end shouted down it. "Well I don't _care_ how difficult it will be to get everything together in time, that's your job." She hung up the phone and rubbed her eyes. The annoying thing, she found, of taking one operatives gear order was that everything needed couldn't be supplied in anything less than a case, usually holding anything between twelve and one hundred of any given item. Agent Shift's order had more or less fallen into the over-ordered category; the only things that he thought he needed that_did_ come in single units were the tranq-rifle and the lock-pick set.

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Gabriel used the last slice of toast to mop up the mixed sauce on his plate and ate it. Fully satisfied he pushed the plate away and trapped a twenty under it before getting up to leave. He caught scarlet movement out the edge of his vision as he passed Quicksilver; he thanked the waitress for his breakfast and left the diner. Wanda walked towards him with a purpose.

"Where is he?" She hissed angrily.

"He's in the diner, once your in there I'm calling the police; you'll have between three to five minutes to get what you need out of him." He caught her annoyed look in his direction before she settled on then back of Quicksilver's head. "I can't have you going nuts and hurting any innocents Wanda so don't give me that look. Just do what you have to and I'll get the car. He took off at a run without waiting for her reply.

Once back at the hotel room he quickly packed the car, removed what traces he could of their occupying of the room and locked up. He activated his car-phone as he manoeuvred the saloon towards the office.

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?" a professional male voice answered.

"Yeah I need the police there's a mutant tearing up Maggie's diner here in Newton." Gabe answered in a generic American accent. He stopped outside the office and gave the operator the pertinent information; he hung up as soon as the operator asked for his name; confident that SHIELD installed the best encryption software _wherever_ they went or went in. He piled out of the car and rushed into the office, he couldn't find the clerk anywhere so he vaulted over the counter, filled out the relevant forms and left a fifty note next to it using the keys as a paperweight. He was back in the car and gunning it towards the diner shortly afterwards. He passed the diner and turned into the next street, parking close to the side of the diner. He got out and jogged to the corner and watched out for Wanda.

He caught sight of two black and whites tearing down the street before him before they were obscured by a large metal box ploughing through the entrance of the diner, over the grass and coming to a stop directly in the police cars path, causing the two vehicles to swerve; one of them smashing nose first into a streetlamp. Taking the resulting confusion as his cue he vaulted up the side of the diner and smashed in a window. He saw Wanda watching the police advance on the box.

"Scarlet Witch!" He called, not wanting to release their names to potential witnesses. "Come on!" He added when she turned in his direction and dropped from the smashed window. Wanda jumped through in a shower of the remainder of glass and rolled when she landed. They ran for the car and peeled away as fast as they could.

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On the road back across the NY/NJ border Gabriel slowed for the first time and turned to his passenger.

"So what did you get out of Pietro?" He asked, overtaking a convoy of delivery trucks as he did.

"He doesn't know where our father is, so I've used Pietro to bait a trap." She answered with a small smile on her lips Gabriel was going to ask her what she meant before his phone rung. He picked it up and accepted the call.

"Agent McKinner." He answered.

"Gabe? This is Lyle, We've got a small job for you." Barker answered.

"I'm already lined up for a recon job Lyle, you should know that." Gabe answered, keeping the parameters of the area 51 job vague; he didn't need Wanda knowing anything about it.

"It's been pushed back to next week Gabriel this new job has higher priority. Are you interested?" Lyle asked. Gabe gave Wanda a sidelong glance.

"Yeah, colour me curious." He answered as they joined the line of traffic heading into Bayville.

"It's an Escort mission. Local PD caught a mutant causing a ruckus at some diner and have asked for assistance, they're a little freaked out and don't know how to handle the situation." Gabriel stopped in a lay by and turned the engine off. He reached into a cubbyhole on the dashboard and pulled out a notepad and pencil.

"Okay Barker, give me the specifics." He said; already writing out who and where.

"It's Pietro Maximoff, he's currently being held in Newton PD and so far the escort consist of a platoon of soldiers from a local garrison. They're taking the interstate here so we can question Pietro and Fury wants you there in an official capacity." Lyle told him.

"What's the military doing getting involved in a simple prisoner transfer?" Gabe asked as he filled the rest of the information down.

"Seems the town's mayor panicked and called them in. The platoon sergeant suggested calling us in apparently."

"That was kind of him." Gabe said sarcastically "Okay, contact Newton PD and let them know I'll be on my way shortly." Gabriel was about to hang up when, glancing Wanda's way again, he got an idea. "Before you do that can you get me a copy of the planned route?" He asked Lyle.

"Sure thing." Gabriel hung up the phone and turned the screen on.

"What do you need the route for?" She asked as Gabriel started pushing the on-screen buttons.

"I won't, you will. I'm assuming you had a reason for getting your brother caught?" He asked her in return.

"I did, It won't take long for my father to find out his precious little lackey is incarcerated and I'm sure he'll do what he can to break him out and when he does, I'll be there to take him down." She answered through a dark look.

"Is that down as in 'unconscious and beaten' or down as in 'dead and beaten'?" He asked her, her look said everything. "So 'beaten _then _dead'. Ok." The screen flashed an incoming message symbol and began to show a long list of text on the screen. Gabriel began to write it down on the notepad. "What if it's not just Magneto? What if his Aco-whozits tag along for the ride?" He added.

"Then I'll just have to deal with them too." She answered coldly. Gabriel restarted the engine and pulled out into traffic.

"Modesty doesn't exist anywhere in your personal lexicon does it?" He asked with a smile, he didn't need to look at her to know she was giving him a glowering look. "Neither is 'a sense of humour' apparently." He said under his breath. Gabe slowed down to take a left hand turn that took them away from Bayville. "What I'm gonna do is drop you close to the most likely point of ambush which seems to be a mountain pass that the convoy will pass by. According to the route itinerary they won't be taking it as it's going to be dark when they approach and they want to remain as safe as possible." He stopped at a gas station and pointed up the hill to their left. "That's the pass, they should be coming from that direction." He said pointing in front of them. "Here is the best bet at an ambush; low rate of traffic and nearby source of explosives make for a good choke point." He ripped off the recently written list and handed it to Wanda. "Here's the route, if you have any better ideas on where to wait yourself then use this to find your way." Wanda took the paper and got out of the car. She shut the door and started to walk away before turning back and knocking on the window. Gabriel looked up fro dialling on his phone and pressed a button on his door to wind the passenger window down.

"Yeah Wanda?" He asked. She paused for a second

"Um, I just wanna say. I mean; thanks for helping me Gabriel." She said softly. Gabriel looked confused for a second before smiling.

"Don't mention it hen." He said. "I've got to shufti if I'm going to make it back to Newton in time to come back again." He started the car and gave Wanda a meaningful look. "Be careful Wanda." She nodded and stepped back to let hi wind the window back up and drive off. She read through the instructions and, after grabbing a road map from the gas station, deduced that the route followed the western base of the mountain and figured that the best place to watch for her father was from the mountainside itself. With everything safely stowed away in the confines of her coat she headed up the mountain pass.


End file.
